Overload

by AureAllegories

Summary:

Jay went missing six weeks ago and a lead has finally showed up they find Jay just... Not the way they were expecting. There's a bigger piece to the puzzle, a bigger more destructive piece that will destroy the entire city if they don't stop it.
(written before watching seabound)

Notes:

My first fic on AO3 and it's not even for my current hyperfixation, anyways this is meant to be bruiseshipping but it's not really that romantic, starts off kinda slow but I swear the plot gets better.

Chapter 1: Test Tubes

It's been six weeks. Six weeks since Jay said he was going on a walk. Six weeks since Jay didn't come back from that walk. Six weeks since they realized someone had taken the blue ninja of lighting. And they finally had a single lead that turned out to be complete and utter bullshit.

 

"I can't believe they gave us a false lead!" Cole seethed, kicking one of the loose cables laying on the ground.

 

The info they got was a tip about a secret lab in an old shop that had strange power surges from it. They immediately jumped at it assuming if there was strange activity and power phenomena then it had something to do with Jay. But now, they were standing if this lab that looked like it had been abandoned for weeks.

 

Kai ran his hand along an old piece of equipment covered in dust.

 

"Well we should keep looking Incase they left behind anything." Zane reminded.

 

"Uhhh guys! I- I think I found something they left behind."

 

"What now Kai?" Cole looked over to see the ninja of fire now backing away from the machine he had run his hand across.

 

"I think there's something inside of that thing" Kai whispered.

 

"Are you sure? it's pretty dark in here Kai."

 

"Well, then turn on the lights and make it less dark because I swear to the FSM I saw something in there Cole!"

 

"Jeez fine okay drama king. Zane have you seen a power switch anywhere?"

 

"I saw one near the entrance."

 

Cole trudged over to the switch making sure not to trip over cables (why were there so many cables?) Eventually reaching it.

 

'This wouldn't be an issue if Jay was here' Cole thought bitterly.

 

Full disclosure, the ninja of earth hadn't been doing great ever since his best friend had been kidnapped. Something about him and Jay just, clicked. Earth and lightning were opposites on almost every level earth cannot hurt lightning the same way lightning can only scorch the earth but when they meet properly they give each other strength. Their hosts were the same way to each other.

 

Each ninja had to embody their element that's why they were able to control them that's why they were the hosts of the elements. Cole was earth, earth was steady and stable and many perceived it as caring and tender but also hid strength and wrath that it could unleash when it saw fit. It grounded the other elements giving an anchor for others to grow off of. That was Earth, that was Cole.

 

The lights didn't turn on when he hit the switch, but something sure did. A loud whirring noise came from the tube that Kai had been talking about. Soon teal blue illuminated it and outlined a figure.

 

It was hard to see because of the dust but to their confusion the outline was human shaped.

 

Joining Kai and Zane beside it Cole swiped the dust away with his hand sloppily. And immediately fell backwards after looking inside.

 

After all...

 

It isn't every day you sweep dust off a test tube thing to find your six weeks missing best friend inside asleep.

Chapter 2: In and Out

Summary:

So they've found Jay... Now what?

Notes:

The first an only chapter that won't be Cole's POV this one is from Kai again it's kinda short

"Oh first master" Kai was just staring at it. Jay, his brother, who has been missing for a month and a half, was here he was finally here but... He wasn't. Jay was in a cylinder filled with some sort of clear liquid, he'd say water but Jay was breathing it in just like air.

 

It was eerie, Jay was so carefully laid down and still. The thought of how much it looked like a casket flashed through his mind but he shook it away. 'Jay is breathing' he reminded himself but another part of him whispered 'breathing liquid' at the same time.

 

"What did they do to him? Who did this to him?" Cole asked by his side in disbelief.

 

"I'm not sure at the moment but he looks to be in some form of stasis" Zane said examining the pod.

 

"Well whatever it is he's not staying in it" Cole growled winding up, his skin was glowing a dangerous orange.

 

"Wait, Stop." Zane spoke when Cole was seconds away from smashing the thick glass case.

 

"We shouldn't take him out yet. Stasis is not a well studied thing, taking him out without testing could have unintended side effects."

 

Cole was silent but lowered his hand.

 

"Yeah, also dude I get you're angry but I think there's a better way to get Jay out than smashing a bunch of glass on top of him." Kai said putting a hand on Cole's shoulder.

 

He might not be on the same level of connection to Jay as Cole was but Jay was still his brother even if not biologically. And Kai knew how he would react if it was Nya in that freaky tube.

 

"How are we gonna move him then?" Cole muttered, he didn't look like he was thinking of punching the thing open but his skin was still glowing from the inside out.

 

"We've got enough space in your the car to fit the pod and Cole has the super strength to lift it we should be able to move him as long as someone stays in the back to keep him steady" he said and Zane nodded in agreement.

 

"Fine." Cole grumbled and carefully they loaded Jay into the backseat. Cole had obviously wanted to stay back with the lightning ninja but took up to much space so Kai being the smallest out of the three got the assignment of watching Jay. And once again the black ninja was not happy.

 

During the drive back it was dark the sky was a deep purple and the air inside the vehicle was tense to say the least, and only got worse when they got back to Nya, Pixal, and Lloyd at the monastery and had to explain why their missing friend was in a fishtank asleep. Not that Kai, Cole, or Zane had much of an answer to that either.

 

Zane and Pixal went down into the secret room in the monastery with Jay to run some tests and that left Kai and Cole to explain what happened but Cole ducked out muttering something about blowing off steam.

 

"Wait... So they just left him there?" Nya asked for like the billionth time by Kai's count.

 

"Yes Nya, how many times do I need to repeat that?" He sighed, ignoring a very loud crash from outside in the direction Cole had left.

 

"Kai, Nya's right, something about this feels off." Lloyd backed her up, the traitor.

 

"If the place was abandoned for a long time then why would they just leave a victim there alive?"

 

"We don't know why, it was abandoned not like we had anyone to ask."

 

"Kai, I know that I'm just saying-"

 

Cole suddenly came in and opened up the lair and looked at them expectantly. Cole received blank stares in response. Before letting out a sigh.

 

"Haven't you guys checked your phones? Zane said they finished testing that pod Jay is in."

 

And like that they were all scrambling into the elevator.

 

Reaching the main floor they ran up to Zane except for Cole who walked straight past over to Pixal and Jay.

 

"So what's going on? Is Jay gonna be okay?" Lloyd asked from his side the tone of his voice revealing worry for his brother and reminding Kai again that Lloyd was really just a kid.

 

"From what we have gathered yes, we should be able to know more once we remove him from stasis." Zane replied putting a hand on their youngest brother's shoulder.

 

"So you can get him out without and of those "unintended consequences" you talked about?" Kai inquired.

 

"Almost yes."

 

"What do you mean almost?" Cole spoke up from beside Jay.

 

Pixal took that as her cue to join the discussion.

 

"The pod Jay is currently in is filled with a substance similar to a perfluorocarbon a liquid with enough oxygen in it for a person to breathe while still being submerged. However the process of beginning the breathing cycle is extremely painful and exiting it is the same; however it is not lethal."

 

"So that's the reason he's asleep right?"

 

Nobody said anything and the air somehow got thicker from the silence.

 

"That's the reason he's asleep right?"

 

"Breathing in perfluorocarbon alone should not put someone in stasis but we will not know what other reason there is until we remove Jay from it. It is likely that the pain from removal will wake him up. However a hospital with professionals would be of more help once he is stable."

 

"I say we do it" Cole said.

 

"You sure dude? He's your best friend and you're the leader on this one so you know best but are we 100% on putting Jay in that much pain just to get him out?" Kai put a hand on his shoulder.

 

Cole just glared at his reflection in the pod. Kai watched his fists tighten already knowing the answer.

 

"If we take him out he's in pain and he'll need a doctor, but if we leave him in he'll probably stay asleep forever. At least he's got a chance of waking up if we take him out. I'm not playing it safe on this one as much as I'd like to. I am not letting Jay stay like this."

 

A look at him and Kai understood. Jay was their lightning, the energy of the team, always bouncing around and excited. Seriously the dude would not stop moving. Ever. But in this pod he was still and silent. That wasn't lightning, that wasn't Jay and Jay is who they wanted back.

Notes:

Honestly I hate this chapter probably my least favorite so far but it's plot necessary I guess anyway next chapter will be early it's a more fluffy flashback chapter than anything so I'm just gonna post it on Friday instead of waiting till Sunday. As always comments are appreciated

Chapter 3: Photo Op

Summary:

Cole reflects on some things.

Notes:

Yay the first flashback chapter! Kinda fluffyish but I'm better at angst writing so eh. When you see those lines it means it's a flashback!

There wasn't a bone in his body that didn't scream "this is wrong" looking at Jay "sleeping" inside that weird tube. There wasn't a bone in his body that didn't scream "wait until you know more before you get him out" but the difference between the two: Cole wasn't going to listen to the latter.

 

A hand was placed on his shoulder but he didn't turn to see who it was, eyes still locked on Jay.

 

A soft voice spoke, "Cole why don't you go get some rest?"

 

Now it was time for him to turn his head.

 

"Nya? When did you get here?" He asked now realizing they were the only ones in the room.

 

"I got here a while ago Cole, everyone decided it would be best to wait until tomorrow to help Jay"

 

Cole stayed silent. A while ago how long ago? He hadn't been sitting here that long had he?

 

The water master sighed "everyone went to bed quite some time ago I think it's best you did the same. You're tired Cole both mentally and physically."

 

Cole let out a half hearted laugh. "Okay, but what if..."

 

"Just rest Cole. Tomorrow's a big day and we all need to be ready for anything. Jay isn't going anywhere this time. Now go." Nya interjected with the 'this isn't a suggestion' tone Cole knew all to well.

 

Defeated the earth ninja trudged back to his room.

 

They had separate rooms in the monastery although sometimes Cole preferred sleeping in the cabin on the bounty surrounded by his family. Sure they annoyed each other but at the end of the day there was something so filling about going to bed surrounded by the soft breath of the people you loved.

 

The monastery had always been quiet at night but with the knowledge Jay was in the basement in some tube in some sort of coma it didn't just feel quiet, it felt empty.

 

He sat down on his bed it was soft and had like two blankets but it was his. Cole never liked his room being to loud in terms of decor but Jay had insisted.

 

---

 

"C'mon Cole your room looks as boring as a pile of rocks!" Jay whined sprawled out across Cole's bed.

 

"Yeah so what? I control rocks maybe I think it's a fitting aesthetic Zaptrap." Cole replied digging for some snacks in his closet.

 

"Aw c'mon boulderbrain seriously you've been living here for, what? Four years? Even Zane has a picture wall in his room!"

 

"Well maybe I like not having anything in my room. Ever think about that?"

 

"Nope, unacceptable!" Jay said shooting up and shaking his head. "C'mon rocks for brains we're going shopping!"

 

Cole was revolted by the idea of shopping but couldn't find it in him to say no to Jay and so a five hour shopping trip had commenced.

 

When what Cole had described as "five hours of colorful torture" was over they had approximately twelve bags from various different hardware and department stores scattered across the ground.

 

For the next hour and a half Cole happily listened to Jay jabber excitedly about nothing in particular while they set up all the little trinkets and doodads they had found.

 

In the end there were a few posters hanging on the walls from some bands Cole enjoyed, a bedside table that was now home to several sketchbooks and various art supplies, a rack and table for his records and record player, a snack bucket, some framed pictures of the team and Cole's bio family, and the statement piece. A red and orange lava lamp that cast the room in a citrus colored glow.

 

Cole had originally objected to getting the lava lamp at first to which Jay had responded with the, all too witty, "to bad already in the cart". Somehow though Jay managed to shove that lava lamp straight into his heart because now he could barely stand seeing it turned off.

 

"Whatcha got there?" Cole asked peeking over Jay's shoulder.

 

"It's a picture of us I took after the whole day of the departed incident!"

 

"What? I don't remember taking a picture?" Cole said picking his brain for any recollection of the supposed photo op.

 

Jay's face flushed. "Ummm that's maybe because I uh never told you a was taking a picture..."

 

Cole looked at Jay deadpanning. "What?" He took a look at the photo. It looked pretty average more like Jay had taken a selfie and managed to have Cole in the background.

 

The blue ninja just looked away angrily "Yeah yeah yeah okay so maybe it's a little weird but I didn't want to seem all sappy! What was I supposed to say? 'oh hey Cole could I get a picture of us together just in case because I'm terrified I might not get that chance ever again?" He said in a demeaning tone.

 

"Jay-" Cole started reaching a hand out for him.

 

"Just forget it it's stupid" Jay grumbled plopping down on the bed and scrubbing at his eyes.

 

"Hey it's not stupid bluebell, you could've just asked though... This isn't just about a picture though is it?" Cole knew Jay was a photography nut, Cole also knew that Jay had a panic attack after realizing that as a ghost he didn't show up in pictures anymore and nobody could get a reason for why.

 

"Look Cole, I didn't have a lot of pictures of us when we first got on the team together but then I had even less of us together after our stupid  fight over Nya. Then we made up though so everything was okay! But- but then... Then you got turned into a ghost and I already thought I lost you then but then I tried taking a picture of you as a ghost and you... And you didn't show up. It was like I lost you all over again! If- if you didn't show up on a picture then there really was nothing left to show you were really still here. Cole do you even know how goddamn scary that is? I had nothing to show you were still here and almost nothing to show you even were here in the first place. And then on the day of the departed I almost forgot you like really forgot you and if we really did end up forgetting you I wouldn't even have had a picture to remind me of you it would've been like you hadn't existed in the first place and... And I'd have no one to blame for that but myself."

 

Cole just stared at his blue friend as he sat there staring at the ground like it had personally wronged him.

 

Cole plopped down next to the blue ninja and lightly shoved his shoulder.

 

"Hey, you can't get rid of me that easy sparky. One way or another I'm here now. And surprise! I do exist, have for a while now if I recall correctly. I don't think we need a picture to prove that. 'Sides," he threw his arm around Jay and looked him dead in his deep blue eyes. "You couldn't forget me forever if you tried."

 

Jay looked at Cole with wide eyes his face turned a rosy red color and Cole released him.

 

Cole leaned and got up with a grunt.

 

"But, I'll accept your photo if it really makes you feel better."

 

Jay smiled turning his head away from Cole and resting his chin on his hand. He let out a chuckle.

 

"Nah, seems kinda pointless now. Doesn't really make sense anymore now that I think about it. Y'know since I'll always be right down the hallway."

 

---

 

Cole's eyes stung. Whether that was out of sadness or because he was tired was beyond him. One way or another Jay was wrong, he wasn't always gonna be down the hallway, and he might never be again. And so Cole laid there basked in the citrus light of a lava lamp one thought replaying in his mind.

 

He should've taken that photo when he had the chance.

Notes:

Welp that's the end of that. Next chapter is where the plot finally picks up I can't wait to destroy all of you as always comments are appreciated

Chapter 4: This Is Your Wake Up Call

Summary:

It's finally time for Jay to wake up! Right... Right?

Notes:

FINALLY A DECENT CHAPTER this is where everything important happens this chapter pretty much sets up the basis for everything that's going to happen so now the plot can finally begin. Jeez I feels like I haven't posted in months but it's only been like a week well hope you enjoy this >:D

He didn't remember falling asleep but he must've at some point because next thing he knew there was someone knocking at his door.

 

Cole was not a morning person he was as Jay had described to him once "like an overly grumpy bear that had come out of hibernation". Well screw that just because he doesn't like being woken up, or getting ready, or sunshine in the morning when it comes through your window and blinds you doesn't mean Cole isn't a morning person.

 

He swung his door open and loomed ominously in the doorway over whoever had been sent to the chopping block that was waking Cole up.

 

"Um ahhh Z-Zane has breakfast ready for everyone" Kai breathed out with a lopsided smile before scurrying away.

 

Cole watched his red brother scamper away before turning back to get ready for the day. His routine was more or less like this: roll out of bed, try and comb hair, find a clean gi (they had new ones with lighting designs in their respective colors because of everything), give up combing hair and throw a headband and ponytail on, eat breakfast, stare at the tv until actually awake.

 

Today wasn't much different. The exception being that today he was multitasking. He grabbed his food and sat down on the couch grumbling while eating his pancakes.

 

Cole wasn't really one for watching the news most of it was just depressing or stuff about them. He also might not like it because being dyslexic mixed with morning brain made reading headlines a bitch. Today's story was something about some new CEO council person approving something for the city.

 

None of that really mattered for Cole today, he had bigger things going on. They were getting Jay back today.

 

He had been lost in his thoughts for so long he barely noticed when new weight caused a dip in the couch.

 

"Hey how you holding up there Cole?" Nya asked with a hand on his shoulder.

 

He and Nya had a good relationship they were good friends. Nya was part of the small circle of people that made Cole feel like he could really be honest around along with Jay or occasionally Wu.

 

Cole's eyes dragged across his face to look over to her.

 

"Honestly kinda crummy." He replied.

 

Nya didn't laugh at him or make a joke out of it like his feelings were nothing instead she just leaned her head onto his shoulder with a soft smile.

 

"Yeah, me to. Do... Do you think Jay is actually gonna be okay?" Nya asked but Cole knew the question was more for herself than it was for him.

 

Cole just let out a deep sigh. "I couldn't tell ya"

 

With that Nya nodded and stood up tugging on Cole's arm.

 

"Um Nya? Wanna tell me where you're tryna drag me?"

 

"Well unless you've forgotten which I wouldn't be surprised by we both have patrol today."

 

There was a loud groan.

 

"Seriously we have patrol today but what about Jay? Can't one of the other guys go instead?" Cole pleaded but all he got was a sympathetic look from the water ninja.

 

"Cole I know you wanna help Jay but I think you could use a distraction right now and patrol is the perfect thing for it."

 

Something inside of him wilted at that but went along begrudgingly.

 

Patrol is the same, it's always the same seriously it's like the criminals of Ninjago wait until somebody isn't on patrol before they ever do anything. Which was, in a word, frustrating.

 

"Nya I'm assuming you haven't seen anything either?"

 

"Yeah that's a negative on any activity." She replied through the coms.

 

"Ya wanna go to the outskirts of the city?" Her crackled voice came and went through the speakers again.

 

"Will do" he responded.

 

Cole always liked the outskirts of the city better. They were more stoic with long dirt roads and the earth underneath him that wasn't constantly interrupted but buildings the way it was in the city. And you could see the mountain ranges that lined the horizon like walls of purple and blue hiding secrets beyond them.

 

If you drove for long enough though, you could just barely see off in the distance Jay's favorite place in Ninjago. The storm farms.

                   

---

 

"I seriously don't get why you wanna come out here so badly" Cole shook his head as he and Jay approached the place that Ninjago got all of it's electricity from. Cole was riding his bike with Jay seated behind him arms wrapped around Cole's waist.

 

"Well of course you wouldn't get it rockhead you don't know what it's like."

 

"What what is like? Seriously I need details if you want me to feel sympathetic sparky."

 

"Okay you want details? How's this for details, you know how you always feel off balance and icky whenever we fly like really high up in the bounty?"

 

Cole shuddered at the thought he did know how that felt, it felt like constantly having a rug ripped out from under you mixed with the sickness of feeling like you had been hollowed out. "Icky" didn't even begin to describe it. They all felt like that when they were to far from their elements. It's the same reason Zane and Nya didn't like the desert, Kai didn't like the ocean, and Lloyd didn't like wastelands of any kind. It's the opposites of their elements the furthest you can be from something you've always felt was a part of you.

 

"Lightning isn't exactly an environment Cole, I basically never get to be near my element unless there's a big storm for me it's like how you feel being in the air but if it was like that all the time."

 

Oh.

 

This explained why Jay loved going to the arcade so much even when he didn't have the money to play any games.

 

"Yeah that's what I thought. Now go faster we're almost there I can feel it!" Jay bounced excitedly.

 

Jay was off the bike and running towards the storms around  power plant before Cole could even cut the engine.

 

Jay was spinning around sparks dancing off his arms with the biggest smile Cole had seen on him in a long time.

 

There was a tap on his shoulder and Cole turned to find an engineer standing next to him. The engineer was a short younger looking guy bundled in a bulky suit that had NCDPE on the front. He had tanned skin and glasses underneath his goggles with a fluff of black hair sticking out from under his hard hat. A nervous look painted across his face.

 

"Sir I'm going to have to ask you to leave this area is restricted and dangerous"

 

Cole just chuckled "Don't worry about us we're both perfectly safe-"

 

"COLE INCOMING!" Jay screeched and with reflexes quick as Jay's element Cole had planted his feet and stretched out his arm.

 

The feeling of lightning going through your body was something so exhilarating, or, at least that's how Cole imagined it would feel like if you weren't the ninja of earth. Cole was the earth and like the earth lightning is always reaching out to it that's why he thinks Jay and him get along so well. When Cole, the earth, is struck by lightning though it isn't like a human would feel being electrocuted rather it feels like a warm wave that you need to direct to where it needs to go. Like a conductor dropping something off at a new destination.

 

That's how is feels now too when he reaches out and grasps the incoming lighting and sends it through him and to the ground away from the engineer.

 

"Nice try Sparkplug but next time try and aim!"

 

Jay just let out an overjoyed giggle releasing more jolts of energy from his hands.

 

The engineer still beside Cole adjusted his glasses and stared toward the master of lightning.

 

"That's incredible" he gasped out.

 

Cole sent a loving gaze over to the blue ninja "yeah he really is."

                       

---

 

Cole kept moving, faster patrol was over faster he got back to Jay. Or at least he had kept moving until his bike suddenly slowed to a stop and died. He groaned getting off and checking it over. Weird, the battery was charged before he left.

 

He sighed switching his less than reliable machine over to gas power and drove back towards the main city.

 

"Where have you been?!" Nya yelled when he finally made it up the steps of the monastery.

 

"Uhm patrolling y'know the thing you told me to do?"

 

"I didn't tell you to stop answering your coms after you went to the outskirts!"

 

"What do you mean I never stopped...Oh" His answer drifted away as his eyes landed on the flashing "dead battery" icon on his visor.

 

Nya scoffed and stomped away muttering some about boys and never doing things ahead of time.

 

Honestly Cole couldn't care less because patrol was over which meant it was time to go see Jay and it was time for Jay to finally wake up.

 

The ride down to the lair underneath the monastery was silent. Nobody spoke not even Kai.

 

When they reached the bottom Pixal and Zane were hurrying around the tube working on several different machines.

 

"Zane, Pix how's everything going?" Nya asked. And the two nindroids turned their heads towards them as everyone gathered around Jay's containment unit.

 

Zane sighed loudly and Pixal put a hand on his shoulder.

 

"Everything is now up and running we should be able to get Jay out now but we want to make sure we have everything ready Incase something goes wrong with the process." Pixal stated gesturing at the medical equipment they had on standby.

 

"So everything is ready?" Cole asked.

 

Zane nodded solemnly and picked up a power switch with a wire connected to the bigger piece of equipment that was now attached to the test tube.

 

"Wait what's all this stuff for?" Kai spoke up gesturing to some weird tank and rig up that was now attached to the tube.

 

Instead of just being a tube it was now attached to a large empty tank underneath it with tubes connecting the two and a few patches with glowing lights on them.

 

Zane drummed his fingers against his chin.
"There were some complications when we examined the pod. We thought there would be some mechanism that would allow the perfluorocarbon to flow out and let the glass shield open but it only has one port for letting the fluid enter and a closing apparatus. We had to find a way around it and adjust accordingly but..."

 

"Wait so whoever built this thing made it to put someone in but, not take them out?" Lloyd tilted his head.

 

"Precisely. Which mean whoever put Jay in here never intended for him to be found or taken out." The air gained a new kind of tension.

 

Kai, of course it was Kai, pointed out what they were all thinking but were to afraid to say.

 

"So if they never wanted to take him out... Why didn't they just kill him?"

 

For a long time nobody said anything and the only sounds were the whirring and clicks of all the machinery.

 

This didn't make sense. They were missing something they had to be. What reason would someone have to attack Jay specifically? And not just attack but put him in some sort of suspended animation? Not to mention if the pod only closed and filled with liquid then Jay was probably already asleep before they put him in and-

 

Cole shook his head his thoughts were getting way to loud for his liking and he didn't have any music to drown them out.

 

"We won't know until we get Jay out and awake. Zane-?"

 

The titanium ninja nodded and grabbed the remote.

 

"Everyone ready? He's going to be in a lot of pain from the moment he can get actual air."

 

They all gathered around on standby. A gurgling noise started as the perfluorocarbon drained out and air bubbles entered. The tank underneath got more and more full. Everyone was leaning over expectantly holding their breath. With another gurgle air reach up and Jay's face fully resubmerged.

 

All the lights when out.

 

And an inhuman scream of agony echoed from inside of every wall in the room.

Notes:

yesss suffer as always you gotta wait a week until you get to learn anything enjoy the cliffhanger hehehe

Comments are appreciated

Chapter 5: Echoes

Summary:

The walls are screaming and everything is too bright before it goes completely dark

Notes:

Alright, alright, I'm sad to have to let my cliffhanger fun end but at least I know this isn't the last time you'll be stuck on a ledge >:D Hope you enjoy this chapter of overload! When you see those lines it means it's flashback time ;)

Everything went nuts in a matter of seconds.

 

First the lights shut down and they were left in pitch black but before they could even process the lights turning out, it started.

 

At first it was a dull buzz, but then it exploded. It was a scream unlike anything a living being could conjure. It was like listening to the personified version of agony as the metallic shrieking echoed across the room. It changed pitch horribly, at random, like whatever was screaming was experiencing several different voice cracks at once or... maybe it was more than one voice wailing?

 

As the screaming echoed the entire team covered their ears and crouched down. It felt like their heads would explode from the sound of it went on much longer.

 

Electricity from every electronic in their base crackled wildly across the room, lighting it up shades of blue and yellow, casting shadows everywhere.

 

The earsplitting scream persisted. It was horrible, it was awful, it was... Over?

 

Slowly, Cole and the rest of the team uncovered their ears and stood back up. At the same time the lights flickered back on with a low hum.

 

"What was tha-" Lloyd's confusion was cut off shortly.

 

The hum from the lights didn't stop, in fact, it got louder. And as the hum got louder the lights got brighter, and brighter, and brighter.

And oh there were screams this time, but not ones that came from the walls. No, these screams came from the ninja, from the pain of being blinded by the suddenly glaringly white room.

 

Then, in a flash, it too, was over.

 

Unfortunately, so were the lights. They were plunged back into darkness and glass shards raining down from the ceiling were the only sound.

 

"Everyone who can, light up" Cole called and slowly green, purple, blue, and orange made a steady light source over the small area they were in.

 

"What in the realms just happened?" Nya asked.

 

Zane looked down "whatever it was, it wasn't Jay."

 

"How so?" Kai asked and they all brought their accumulated light together over the pod.

 

Cole felt his heart sink down to his chest.

 

No, Jay couldn't have caused this, because even though all the perfluorocarbon was drained he still lay prone, asleep as if nothing had even happened.

 

---

 

When you're a ghost, sleep isn't exactly something that you need. Probably because in some weird twisted way you were already "at rest". Cole didn't feel very at rest though, and clearly someone else didn't either.

 

A gasp and then a groan before the shifting of blankets is what prompted Cole to get up and see what was going on.

 

There was a lot of mumbling down the hall from who he recognized as Jay, but what was he doing up? C ole followed, looking for an answer to that question.

 

He watched as Jay went to the kitchen, grabbed something to eat, and then went back to bed.

 

Cole assumed that was the end of that, just a quick midnight snack.

 

It wasn't.

 

The process repeated itself over, and over, and over again, until finally Cole just waited in the kitchen until Jay went in for his next stop.

 

"Oh! H- hey Cole! What are, what are you doing up?"

 

The earth ninja regarded him with a cold look. "I could ask you the same thing."

 

Jay laughed nervously. "Oh y'know I was just getting up and walking around, kinda hard to sleep y'know cause of the um ahhh-" Jay's words trailed off into nonsense and Cole rested a translucent green hand on his shoulder.

 

"Jay just tell me what's going on... Please?"

 

Jay's entire posture instantly deflated and lightning gently guided earth over to a couch.

 

"I've... been having a hard time staying asleep lately." Jay finally spat out Cole nodded and put a hand on his back in a comforting gesture.

 

"That's weird right? I used to sleep like the dead but now it's like if there's a tiny creaking noise I'm wide awake!" Lightning said with mock happiness before he buried his head in his hands frustratedly.

 

"Jay when was the last time you actually slept well?"

 

Jay rolled his face away and huffed. "I don't know maybe five or six.... Months?"

 

"Jay have you talked to anyone about this?"

 

Silence was all the answer Cole needed.

 

"C'mon, let's go" Cole said getting up.

 

"Wait what? Go where?" Jay asked startled.

 

Cole didn't answer, instead just floating over to the kitchen and pulling out a box from the way back of the cabinet.

 

"I may not be good at cooking, but chocolate of any kind is my specialty" he said smirking at Jay.

 

"Hot chocolate? At three am? In April? ... Really?"

 

"Anytime is a good time for hot chocolate!" He stated proudly. "Just go sit down in the main room. I'll be there in a sec."

 

There was hesitation before slowly blue slinked out of the kitchen and onto the couch in the chill room of the bounty.

 

When Cole came in Jay was already looking pretty drowsy. He sat there hunched forward eyes half lidded and unfocused, his breathing even and shallow.

 

Nudging him slightly Jay turned his foggy gaze over to the hot chocolate steaming in Cole's hand.

 

Jay took the cup, mindlessly sucking it down with a phantom of a smile on his face.

 

And if there was maybe a little bit of sleep medication dosed into the drink, Jay didn't need to know that.

 

Soon enough the blue ninja's head was nodding off as they sat in peaceful silence. Cole simply draped a blanket around blue as his head drooped down onto black's shoulder.

 

Cole would've been lying if he said there wasn't a small bit of pale rose that joined his glowing color scheme in the dark room as Jay's warm body leaned onto his cold one.

 

Jay spoke in a hushed tone as he nuzzled in closer to him.

 

"You're the best Cole"

 

And like that blue had fallen asleep and for the first time in a very very long time, Cole felt warm.

 

---

 

Even after that day Jay had never really slept well.

 

Looking at him now he wouldn't have believed that.

 

Jay looked... Dead.

 

Hauntingly so, there wasn't anything behind those closed eyes. Only sleep, and a never ending void.

 

Sure, Jay was breathing, you could tell that from the up and down of his chest in the multicolored light but nothing about it felt natural.

 

This wasn't just sleep.

 

This was a trance as deep as death itself.

Notes:

Uh oh looks like somethings still wrong with Jay wonder what it could be hehehehehe. Not exactly a cliffhangers but suspension none the less! I'm glad to finally be on the chapters I enjoy posting as always I love the comments and just know that this story, is just getting started

Chapter 6: News Flash

Summary:

The news sweeps through the city fast and brings with it a new clue

Notes:

I'm going on vacation for a week but I'm still going to be updating because the next chapter is gonna be our most important one yet. Believe it or not this was one of my favorite chapters to write. The next chapter is a two parter and it is my favorite chapter I've written so far. Not to mention most important chapter ;)

The entire city seemed to be buzzing the next morning. Turns out it wasn't just the monastery that had that weird power anomaly. All of Ninjago City had the power go out for a few seconds and then have it surge so badly that the entire place was going to be on backorder for lightbulbs for months. The only difference is, the monastery was the only place that had that horrific screaming.

 

In ways that was both good and more concerning. On one hand now the people of ninjago wouldn't have to live with the memory of their walls screaming from every direction and have their ears ringing for hours. On the other hand it confirmed that whatever that scream was it had to do with Jay.

 

Speaking of the blue ninja, after the power blew they had gotten him onto a hospital bed. Zane was still at the monastery examining him now.

 

It was morning now but even so it was weird being in the city while there were no lights. Ninjago always seemed to be glowing but now that it was only lit by the sun it gained a more peaceful tone, bright florescent pale yellow being swapped out for richer gold's and oranges of the sun.

 

Some things still worked televisions and charging ports and anything that had batteries that weren't plugged into an outlet, but anything like lightbulbs or heating and airconditioning units had all either blown a fuse or just plain blown up.

 

So today was a clean up day for the ninja. Everyone had spread across the city checking in on everyone making sure nobody was hurt and helping those who were.

 

They've had clean up days before pretty much after any main event in Ninjago. They all had their own special skills that were needed around the city so they would just divide and conquer. Nya was at the docks helping any ships that had electrical trouble, Kai and Lloyd were helping out anyone they could, and Pixal and Cole were doing heavy lifting for any electric cars or trains that went nuts during the surge.

 

It was honestly the most calm Cole had felt in a long time. Working, helping people in silence without all the noise that normally pulsed from the city. It was strange, he knew he should feel anxious about Jay and especially worried about the painful scream that was somehow connected to the blue ninja but his mind felt oddly at rest.

 

The sun was fading out by the time Cole had gotten back home to the others. Walking through the threshold though felt strange. They'd never had the power go out or at least not stay out. They always had Jay there with them their very own personal battery pack. If the lights went out all they needed was a quick little 'Zzzip!' and they'd come back on.

 

Silently Cole found his way to Jay's bedroom. Zane had informed him that because Jay didn't seem to have any physical injuries past being asleep they had just moved him from the hospital bed onto Jay's own since all the precautions weren't really necessary. And so here Cole was sitting on a chair pulled up next to Jay in his violently loudly decorated bedroom. Cole thought he had almost gone blind from the power surge but it was nothing compared to the sheer amount of yellow, orange, and bright bright blue that was in Jay's room. Cole's been in here before, quite often actually but he still never got quite used to seeing the amount of color Jay lived in.

 

A shout broke through his five seconds of peace.

 

"EVERYONE! LIVING ROOM!" Nya's voice boomed quickly followed by several loud sets of footsteps. For a bunch of ninja they sure weren't quiet around their own home because Cole knew for a fact they all received the same training and they all knew how to move with making a noise. Yet here they were an entire family of ninjas clomping through the house sounding like a stampede.

 

Cole was the last to arrive and came into the living room to find everyone in a huddle around the back of the couch eyes glued to the TV screen looking like a bunch of kids who's favorite cartoon came on. And Cole wasn't about to change that as he just piled onto the back of it adding black and orange to their fun little rainbow of a family.

 

Looking over some hair at the screen he could see that they had finally gotten the NGTV broadcast on.

 

"What're we watching?"

"What's going on?"

"Kai move your hair!"

"I can't see!"

 

"Ssshst" Nya hissed at their bickering and turning the volume up.

 

"This is Gayle Gossip coming to you with the news about Ninjago City's latest hot topic!" The pink clad reporter said in her cheery as ever tone.

 

"I'm here today with the head of the Ninjago City Department of Power and Electricity  Clayton Macros who is here to talk to you about what exactly happened last night that caused such a horrendous power outage."

 

The camera turned to an older looking man with greyed hair and an expression somewhere between bored and annoyed.

 

"Yes, hi. Look what happened here today was a result of a new system our power department has been working on. It's a trial experiment we have been working on we believe we have found a new way to give Ninjago City more power than we ever have before. While today was a bit of a-"

 

"Disaster? Tragedy? Catastrophe?" Gayle cut in and the scientist sent her an annoyed glare.

 

"-Setback. We will continue to work with this new process and insure nothing like it happens again."

 

"Mhmm and would you say that-"

 

The news continued but Cole didn't hear any of it the sound being drowned out by his thoughts.

 

Nya turned to the rest of them. "So you guys thinking what I'm thinking?"

 

"Whatever happened to Jay has to do with that new power experiment." Lloyd said seriously.

 

"Mhmm and I think I know exactly who we need to talk to." Nya said hit the remote leaving it on a paused shot of the face of  Clayton Macros with a picture of the NCDPE headquarters building in the background.

 

---

 

"Jay? What's the matter? You're normally so excited when we go to the power plant." Cole asked grabbing his helmet and hopping on his bike.

 

Jay sighed "I know and I am but it's just kinda bittersweet now I guess." Cole cocked his head to the side encouraging Jay to explain.

 

"I can feel the storms over there even from the monastery and they've been getting weaker."

 

They now mounted the motorbike and started it up. Taking off down the slim dirt road to the power plant.

 

"So when you say they're getting weaker do you mean that the storms that give the city power are really..."

 

"Fading away? Yeah yeah they are. I'm not even sure how much longer they'll last at this point."

 

Cole hummed thoughtfully.

 

A few minutes later they were there and Jay seemed to be enjoying himself but Cole was just distracted now.

 

Looking up at the sky he could see what Jay meant, the clouds weren't as dark as they normally were. They were getting lighter and there wasn't even as much lightning as there was before. Were the storm farms really getting weaker? What was gonna happen to Ninjago City if they just stopped all together?

 

Cole shrugged, wasn't up to him and for now everything was fine he supposed. They had other villains to deal with.

 

Whatever happened with the Ninjago power plant wasn't his problem for now.

 

---

                        

The Ninjago City power headquarters was, in all, a depressing little building. Like most of the city's big corporate buildings it was mostly glass with black accents and honestly Cole was still confused by that. You live in a city that gets destroyed like every month why waste time making your building out of something so fragile?

 

Eh whatever, made sneaking in that much easier. Just cut out a glass pane and have Zane cover it up with some ice and boom. People don't notice the glass is missing and by the time you gotta go it's melted into an exit.

 

The building was mostly dark, likely closed down for the day but if you paid enough attention you could see that there was still someone inside. And considering that last person was in what was identified as the CEO's office suite they had a pretty good idea of who was in there. They took notice of the fact that while all the rest of the city was scrambling for light sources Mr.Macros somehow already had everything up and running.

 

After a few minutes the figure got up and walked down the hallway and they took that as their chance. Each of them (minus Pixal who stayed behind with Jay) making their way inside taking their positions and turning out the lights all in total silence.

 

A few minutes later the man walked back in. There was confused muttering from him at first about how he didn't remember turning out the lights and they watched as he went over and flicked the switch on.

 

The moment he did he regretted it. The man jumped back startled seeing not only were there three people near his desk but there was another person almost directly in front of him.

 

"Hey there Clayton" Cole said a few inches from his face with a smile that didn't match his tone in the slightest.

 

The CEO started backing up towards the door, a nervous smile on his face and sweat dripping down his temples. His journey was cut off quickly by a loud slam as the red ninja shut the door he had been hiding behind.

 

"Heh- hello" the greasy man gasped out breathlessly.

 

"We have some questions for you about the recent experiment."

 

The man gulped nervously. "I- I uh it's... Confidential?" He squeaked.

 

Cole chuckled and closed what little personal space he had left between him and the businessman. "Oh I don't think it is. At least... Not for much longer."

 

Cole always made sure to make use of what Jay called his "big dog privileges". Cole knew he wasn't a small guy. For him that mostly meant hitting your head on a lot of doorframes, but he knew for other people that it meant there was a 6'10 broad shouldered guy with scars dressed in all black who looked like he could snap your neck coming straight for you. So y'know first glance intimidation was kinda his thing.

 

"I- I can't" the man once again rasped out.

 

Cole shrugged at him. "Well then I guess we're doing this the hard way."

 

Clayton seemed confused for a moment when Cole pulled back. "But I thought-?"

 

Cole laughed loudly and the rest of the guys all smirked with some light chuckles. "Pfft what? You thought I was gonna hit you or something? No way dude we leave that to the actual scary one here."

 

"I don't under-" suddenly BANG! the harsh noise echoed as head met desk in a brutal display and the CEO rasped looking up at the growling face of the water ninja who's hands were firmly placed on one of his shoulders and gripping his hair firmly pressing his head harder onto the table.

 

"Tell us what the experiment is!" Nya snarled loudly at the man lifting his face up and slamming it down again.

 

That was the thing with Nya. Nya was water;  an element that was the key to everything. Without water nothing can live water is kind and nurturing to those who are deserving but water was much more than the gentle mother it seemed like to most. Water was also strong, ruthless, merciless, and powerful. It wouldn't hesitate to kill you in an instant. Water didn't just heal and give, water sunk ships, water could steal the oxygen from your lungs without a second thought of mercy, water flooded cities leaving a wake of destruction in it's path. And over time water could chip away at earth and even make the hardest stones bend to it's will. It was adaptable and ready to switch from care to cutthroat in seconds. And Nya was about as close as water as anyone can be.

 

"THE EXPERIMENT! TELL US WHAT IT IS!" she yelled again slamming his head down harder. An office water tank burst behind her and the water gathered around the master turning into small liquid daggers around her.

 

The man's eyes got bigger at the realization that there were now a bunch of liquid knives aimed at him.

 

"I DON'T KNOW!" he wailed catching them off guard.

 

"L-l-look I'm just the front guy I don't really know what they actually do down at that old storm farm anymore everything gets handled by Ahr!"

 

"R? Is that like a company or something?" Lloyd asked intrigued getting up from his spot sitting on the desk kicking his legs back and forth. Normally Lloyd advocated against being this rough with suspects but If this guy knows something about his older brother that likes to talk with him about his movies and comics... Well, no harm no fowl right?

 

"No, Ahr is just just some kid hire. Our company was losing power and money and there's this kid Ahr. He's worked there for a while some sort of electrical genius I guess. A-anyways one day the guys down at the plant told me they were sending in the little power prodigy with some new pitch."

 

"Annnd...?" Nya squinted and flipped the guy now laying him flat on his back against the desk.

 

"H-he he told me about this idea he had. Said that he found a way to fix the problem permanently."

 

"How" Kai said slamming a hand down next the the guy's face.

 

"I don't know how! Look the kid said he had a solution that'd keep the money rolling and I took it no questions asked, gave him full creative rights for whatever he was working on so I didn't see a point in goin into it."

 

Nya let out a disgusted grunt and pushed Clayton away dumping all the water over his head as he scrambled for air.

 

They all joined back together in their group in front of him with Cole in the front.

 

"And how do we find this 'Ahr'"

 

"Ahr is always at the storm farm he practically lives there if you wanna find Ahr he'll be at the storm farm!"

 

"Thank you for this information Mr.Macros we'll be going now." Zane said without a hint of emotion before he turned to walk out the door.

 

Let it be said that the ninja, while stealthy, are not exactly mature creatures. As they each pulled off their own little trade mark walking out the door.

 

Lloyd pulled down an eyelid and stuck out his tongue before leaving, Kai gave a nonchalant look as he walked backwards out the door sticking up both middle fingers the whole way, Nya never even looked back as the water took itself off of Clayton's shirt and hair before soaking every one of the documents on his desk and splashing back onto his head, and Cole took one last look at the pathetic man before flicking his ring and index finger up sending a tiny pebble flying towards the ceiling knocking out the last remaining lightbulb in Ninjago City.

Notes:

That was is it everyone! The calm before the storm! Gosh I love writing badass Nya. You guys don't even understand how much I loved putting into words the scene that ends this chapter. Can't wait to completely annihilate all of your guy's emotional security with the next two chapters

As always comments are appreciated!

Chapter 7: Overload Pt.1

Summary:

Time to find Ahr and get Jay back but... What if they're left with more questions than answers?

Notes:

I cannot wait for you guys to read this chapter this is one of three chapters that inspired me to write this entire story I'm so excited to see your reactions! I even made a cover for this chapter https://randomfandomdork.tumblr.com/post/678616249490702336/chapter-cover-for-chapter-7-from-my-fic-overload

When you see ~~~~~ that means it's a time skip

The intensity was dropped almost immediately after they left the building.

 

Kai buckled over slinging an arm around Nya. He was practically crying laughing trying desperately to get air in his lungs before it could be forced out by more laughter. "Did haha did you see his face! Ah I don't think I've ever been more proud of you in my life sis!"

 

Nya just smirked at her brother and Lloyd smiled right along with him. Even Cole couldn't help but let a soft expression flicker across his face.

 

"Ah ah ah I SAW THAT COLE!" Kai smiled out dragging Nya and Lloyd over to Cole and grabbing Zane pulling them all into a group hug.

 

Cole sighed, Jay wasn't here but they were a step closer and that was enough to make him content for now.

 

They talked excitedly all the way to the monastery but as soon as they reached the living room the atmosphere that was full of humor dropped on a dime.

 

Lloyd stepped to the middle of the room and they all fell into line taking their seats on the couch from there.

 

"Alright. I think this is gonna be a full team mission if this "Ahr" person really is the one who did something to Jay we need to be ready for anything he could be dangerous. However that being said I don't think we'll actually have to break in to the weather station." Lloyd said pacing across the floor.

 

"Well what should we do instead? Just walk up and say hello?" Kai asked sarcastically caught off guard when Lloyd excitedly jumped and said "EXACTLY!"

 

"Wait wait wait what? Our plan is to just walk up and ask Ahr really nicely if he's been using our friend as some part of his science experiment?" Nya asked confused.

 

"Lloyd may actually have a point Nya," Zane spoke up "whoever Ahr is, left Jay's body unmonitored meaning they most likely don't know that we're there about what happened to him."

 

Now Cole was starting to catch on. "And it would make sense that the City's very own ninja would want to make sure everything was alright y'know after that horrible power surge, why heavens somebody at the power plant could be hurt for all we know!"

 

A manic grin split across Lloyd's face. "Now you're getting it! We go and tell Ahr that we're there to make sure everything is alright with the power plant after the blackout. He won't suspect that we're actually there about Jay! But if it does look like he is catching on we can always go to plan b."

 

"Hitting people really hard!" Kai smiled lighting his hand on fire "now we're speaking my language!"

 

"Wait what about weapons? Logically if Ahr thinks we're there to check in he'll allow us to have weapons but what I'm more worried about is the lightning. The air alone around the power plant is filled with electricity It'll be like strapping lightning rods to our backs."

 

"Hm true but we have Cole for that" Zane pointed out.

 

"That's true if you all stay near me while we're outside I'll just act as a conductor."

 

"So it's settled then. We go to the power plant tomorrow and say we're checking in about the outage but instead look for any tip offs about Jay." Lloyd stated. There was a lot of nodding in agreement before everyone got up and headed toward their rooms.

 

Cole thought about checking in on Jay but on his way Zane stopped him. Apparently Pixal was still worried about possible conditions and complications and moved Jay while they were all out on the mission and now he was resting at the Ninjago City hospital. As soon as Cole protested Zane had pointed out that this was the exact reason Pixal hadn't told anyone first.

 

A small knock on his door is what woke him up. Cole would've been mad but he recognized that small quiet little knock and the light shuffling footsteps. He got up and opened the door. Just outside it standing there was a little boy with glowing multi-color eyes and bioluminescent glittery green hair wrapped up in a blanket that dragged across the floor.

 

"Hey Lloyd c'mon in" Cole said stepping to the side letting Lloyd and his quiet little steps shuffle over and climb onto his bed.

 

This wasn't unusual, Lloyd despite his physical age was still just a little kid. A little kid with a lot of problems, but that was fine because he had all of them. His big mismatched family that'd always be there for him.

 

Cole sat down next to Lloyd on the bed that dipped so much from the added weight that it sent Lloyd tumbling into his side with an 'oof'.

 

"Sooooo what's going on green bean?"

 

Then Cole heard a small sniffle.

 

"What if he's not there Cole?"

 

Oh.

 

The question Cole had been trying to force out of his head for the past month and a half.

 

"I- I don't know kid but we're never gonna give up on him that's for sure right"

 

Lloyd smiled up and him and leaned his head onto Cole's arm.

 

"Hey green bean not that I mind but why'd you come to me?" It isn't that Cole didn't want Lloyd here but it was odd for the green ninja to come to him, especially when Kai was here.

 

Lloyd didn't answer for a long time before finally "...I don't think Kai would get it as well as you do."

 

Cole just nodded in understanding. "In that case why don't you just stay the night 'kay?" Lloyd just nodded again and they both laid back down together.

 

The morning was filled with the sounds of clattering. You'd imagine that ninja preparing for a mission would be full of action or precision but nope, it way more like getting a big family ready for the school bus.

 

"Kai where's my hilt I know you had it!"

"Has anyone seen my shurikins?"

"I swear to FSM I put that right here who took it!"

"Guys can someone please tell me where my hood went pleeeeease?"

"You sure you didn't put that bag somewhere else?"

"Still need to find my shurikins!"

 

Cole wouldn't have it any other way. Not for anything in the world would he want to change their trainwreck of a family.

 

It took a good hour but everyone was all settled into their vehicles and headed off towards the power plant.

 

Truthfully Cole remembered the power plant being much less... Ominous.

 

Now though the large spire like structure seemed to ooze nothing but menacing vibes. He didn't think that a place known for being stormy and dark could somehow be more foreboding but this place really did a good job of it.

 

Surprisingly enough nothing happened with their weapons like Nya was all worried over. Static crackled into lightning nearby them but really nothing came at them. And hey he wasn't going to complain.

 

Eventually the got to the door and Lloyd knocked, the noise echoing off the walls could be heard from the outside. And then a new noise joined, the padding of footsteps that got louder until finally there was a creak as the large metal door opened.

 

The person in front of the ninja was a small Latino guy with dark blue rimmed glasses, grey eyes, and fluffy black hair that was shaved on the sides. He was probably no taller than Lloyd and had a young face with wide eyes. He was wearing a collared pale blue shirt with yellow gloves and black rubber boots.

 

"Ah the ninja hello! What brings you to the Ninjago City storm farm?" He asked.

 

"Hi we're here to check in y'know just make sure everything's in order since the blackout." Lloyd asked chipperly.

 

"Ah yes come on in! Everything should be in order the surge was really just a fluke."

 

"Mhmm well we'd still like to check in just in case."

 

"Understandable I suppose you've already checked in with my supervisor he can be quite the grump when there's a setback but we make do! Oh where are my manners I'm Anthony Rose."

 

"Well nice to meet you Anthony. We were also wondering about the new system? Was that what caused the power outage? We were going to talk to someone else about it but seems like he isn't here." Lloyd said they were walking deeper into the power plant now.

 

"Oh well sorry you didn't get to talk to your mystery person but I could still show you the new project if you really like! It's a lot of math for me so I don't understand most of it but it sure is neat!"

 

All the ninja gave glances at each other.

 

"We'd love to if that's alright."

 

Anthony just nodded and led them through the power plant. Soon enough they reached the main level where the power core was located. It looked... Normal.

 

It was still the same teal colored glowing core as it was last time they had been here during the whole overlord robot debacle. Honestly it scared Cole how average it seemed. No signs of anything that could link them to Jay at least... none he could see.

 

"Was this cut at some point?" Nya asked and Cole realized she had moved to examine the core. Cole went over to see what Nya was talking about. She was right. There was a thin line running along the glass almost like a crack but more controlled.

 

"Oh my! No it shouldn't have been it must be a stress crack that could be what caused the odd surge issue. I'll be sure to report it and get it fixed right away." they said.

 

The others on the team seemed satisfied if not a little upset about not finding anything to do with Jay. A glance at Nya showed that they were on a different page.

 

Something didn't feel right about this. Sure Anthony was friendly but something about how they talked felt like it was hiding something. His voice was almost too cheery.

 

Nya made a nodding motion towards the floor and Cole took a chance to see what she was looking at. Scorch marks across the floor they were faded but still there just barely noticeable. Almost like lightning had struck inside of the power plant.

 

"Well I guess we'll be going then. Thank you for everything Anthony." Lloyd said with sadness twinging his tone.

 

The solemn ride home was depressed especially in contrast to the joy of last night. And when they got to the monastery everything got much worse.

 

"So what's our next move?" Nya asked.

 

"Next move?" Lloyd questioned.

 

"Um yeah like are we all going back tonight to check that place out or are we going to just send in a few of us?" Cole asked backing Nya up.

 

"Why would we go back? Anthony explained what happened and you saw the same thing we did."

 

"What?!" Water and Earth cried at the same time.

 

"I hate to say this but Lloyd's right nothing there seemed out of place we have no reason to go back." Zane said sorrowfully.

 

"So- so what we just give up?" Nya spluttered.

 

"We're not giving up on Jay Nya but I think we need to, I dunno, reevaluate our situation?" Kai said putting a hand onto her shoulder providing as much comfort as he could.

 

It wasn't enough though because the water ninja wrenched his hand off her arm before she stormed down the hallway to her room. They flinched at the sound of the door slamming and the water pipes creaking with pressure.

 

It was about midnight when Cole heard his door open.

 

"Took you long enough." He groaned getting up throwing on his mask.

 

"Yeah yeah whatever let's go you and I both know there's something up with that Anthony guy and the power plant."

 

Cole nodded and they both worked their way into one of their two person motorbikes with Nya driving. It didn't take long for Cole to notice something was off.

 

"Um Heh heh Nya the uh, the storm farm is the other way." Cole nervously said, he knew where she was bringing him he didn't want to believe it though.

 

"I know which way the storm farm is Cole we're taking a pit stop though."

 

                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

"Nope absolutely not." Cole said turning around to march back to the bike before Nya stopped him.

 

"C'mon Cole you I know you want to see Jay. You barely left his side before!" Nya said.

 

"Yeah I did, when he was in the monastery not a hospital!"

 

"Cole..."

 

"No! I'm not going inside no matter how bad I want to see Jay I am not going into a hospital!"

 

"Cole I don't get why you're being so bullheaded about this! He's your best friend don't you want to see him!?"

 

"NOT IF HE'S IN A HOSPITAL!"

 

"Cole that's ridiculous! Why don't you want to see him?!"

 

"BECAUSE WHAT IF IT'S THE LAST TIME?!"

 

Nya froze and Cole turned away plopping down on the curb.

 

Nya slowly came over and sat down next to him.

 

"Last time I went to visit someone in a hospital was my mom Nya. I watched her die in that hospital and I- and I can't lose another person I love to those freaky white walls."

 

Nya didn't say anything for a long time.

 

"Alright." Cole turned to face her, the water ninja was now standing up and grabbing her helmet. "I won't force you to go in there if you don't want to. Just promise me you'll go see him at some point?" She sighed and Cole felt a rush of gratefulness.

 

"Like you could ever stop me." Cole smiled and Nya snickered.

 

"Hey maybe while you're at it you can tell him about your crush on him to." Nya said in a sly voice and Cole went beet red before burying his face in his hands.

 

"Never shoulda told you about that"

 

"But'cha did" Nya chirped happily and they zoomed off.

 

                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

"This place looks even creepier in the dark." Nya grimaced as the snuck through the halls of the storm farm and Cole nodded in agreement.

 

They reached the core room and started their search. Nya was rifling through some papers sitting on a desk and Cole gazed at the rest of the area gloomy gray cast in eerie blue running his hand along the core. The thick tube of glass and electricity cast a cyan glow over the entire room making it almost seem like they were underwater. Or maybe in one of those dark rooms in aquariums?

 

Nya hummed and Cole looked over to her not taking his hand off of the core. "What's up?"

 

"Well it's just-" Nya stopped sharply dropping the papers in her hand staring straight at Cole with an expression of horror.

 

"Nya? What's wrong?" He asked quirking and eyebrow.

 

Nya gulped and said nothing but raised a shaky hand to point behind him. He was confused for a moment before slowly turning around to look behind him.

 

A hand. A hand was pressing up against the glass to where his was.

 

From inside the core.

 

Cole yelped and threw himself backwards crawling over until he bumped into Nya's legs.

 

"Wha- what is-"

 

Another hand thumped against the glass and two glaring white eyes emerged from the electrical mist.

 

Then more shapes began forming until something vaguely human appeared from the white glowing center of the reactor.

 

The shape continued to crackle and shift until it wasn't just vaguely human, it was vaguely Jay.

 

It was Jay but instead of rosy pink flesh scattered with freckles and fluffy brownish-red hair it was just lightning. Different shades of teal blue and white defining the different shapes to make the levitating form of his friend.

 

"What in the-"

 

"Hello ninja."

Notes:

And there you have it! Overload part 1! Wonder who's talking.... Can't wait to hear what you guys thought about this chapter and what you think is going to happen in the next! Speaking of which next chapter is one of my favorites it's where I really get to show off what this story is all about so stay tuned and don't back out now because unfortunately for you even 2 parters have to wait till Sunday

Comments are extremely appreciated!

Chapter 8: Overload Pt.2

Summary:

"the most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire"

Notes:

ITS FINALLY TIME EVERYBODY!!!! FINALLY TIME TO POST MY FAVORITE CHAPTER EVER

Its time for you to learn what's going on and finally time to show you the reason I wrote this fic the heart and soul of this fic and show you my true most deep analysation of these powers bonus points to anyone who knows where our villain got his name from

And heads up to all of you this is where those character death tags come into play

ENJOY! >:D

"Hello ninja."

 

"-Anthony? What- what is this?!" Cole yelled and tried to decide between looking at the worker who had just appeared from behind the core or what looked like the true potential version of his best friend who was inside of it.

 

The small person just chuckled lightly. "It's actually Anthony Harlem Rose, but those ignorant pompous corporate bigshots call me-"

 

"Ahr."

 

"Very good Nya! That's right! Ahr, always hated that name." Any trace of the kind sweet voice of the maintenance worker from yesterday was gone. Now he sounded cold, condescending, and calculating.

 

"What did you do to Jay!?"

 

"Oh yes quite interesting isn't it? Y'know I've spent my entire life fascinated by lightning I'm a bit of a ceraunophile, but your friend here is remarkable." He said tapping a fist against the glass and the lightning form of Jay reared back shrieking and blasting at the glass violently with no effect.

 

With narrowed eyes Cole leapt forward grabbing the scientist by the collar and slamming him against the glass.

 

Cole didn't notice the small crack that had formed.

 

"WHAT DID YOU DO" he roared and the very earth underneath the plant shook. Anthony Rose looked nothing if not calm.

 

"I found a solution to the energy crisis in ninjago."

 

"You. Better start giving me answers. BEFORE I TURN YOUR HEAD INTO A PANCAKE!"

 

Another chuckle from Rose, another slam onto the glass by Cole, another unnoticed crack in the glass of the core.

 

Nya put a hand on Cole's arm getting him to release Anthony from his grip. But his breath was still heaving with rage.

 

"You know lightning is such a unique element. It's powerful, unpredictable, ever changing, useful. Ever since I saw him out in the storm fields that one day I knew what I needed to do to save our city. So I began my research into your elemental powers and I came to some interesting conclusions. I knew if I wanted to help the city I'd need the unbridled power of the pure spirit of lightning but there was one issue. The host."

 

"He has a name." Nya growled. And once again Anthony let out an aggravating chuckle ignoring her.

 

"As it turned out you can't separate the spirit from the host completely. Even if you do separate the host and the spirit the spirit either re-enters the host or it finds a new one. I got stuck for a while but then I remembered that phenomenon you called your "true potential" forms. A form taken when the soul of the host and the spirit merge completely leaving behind the limitations of the body. I knew then the answer. All you have to do is forcefully separate the soul from the body and the spirit along with it! The two merge into one and as long as the body is kept alive then the soul doesn't pass on and it can't find a new host! It's genius!"

 

Cole was breathing heavily and he felt like he was gonna have a heart attack this guy couldn't be serious? He wasn't saying what he thinks he's saying right? Rose kept going though.

 

"The spirit stays connected to the body by the soul though so when the body is harmed the spirit and soul actually feel the pain. The mood changes to! While the pure lightning spirit would have no shape or even personality it gets dragged down by the soul's memory forcing it to take a shape out of habit and it also works in reverse! While the blue ninja's soul would never kill anyone the primal instincts of the spirit's pure power overload any sense of thought the soul has so he'd destroy anything that came in his way!"

 

"That's- That's crazy! You- you're insane!" Nya gasped out.

 

"Ah that's what everyone else said too but they're all gone now, the power source managed to get rid of them all during the transfer process but well, no risk no reward."

 

Nya stumbled at that "you mean all the other people that work here they-"

 

"Died? Yes very sad but if that's the price that has to be paid for the unlimited power of the city then I'll gladly pay it ten times over."

 

Cole felt like he was going to puke.

 

"Did you know that the elemental spirit and the host are actually more like a symbiotic relationship? It's quite interesting. The host and the spirit both rely on each other can't exist without each other! Did you know that his eyes turned grey?"

 

Cole was choked out of his thoughts. "What?"

 

"I examined the physical body before and after the removal of the soul and spirit and his eyes actually turned grey after the lighting spirit and the human's soul were removed! Fascinating isn't it? Almost as if the spirit of lightning was what accounted for the blue coloring of his eyes! Which of course would explain why they turned grey after they were drained out of him."

 

Ah there was the final straw. Cole leaned over and emptied all the contents of his stomach onto the charred floors.

 

"How do we fix him." Nya demanded patting Cole on the back while he heaved.

 

"Oh that's another cool one! You see the thing is, you can't! The lightning spirit has more emotional control or, lack thereof of the merged form and so because it's unstable and desperate to be freed it's always stuck on the mindset to destroy the body of the host which would in turn free the soul and the spirit allowing the soul to pass on and the spirit to find a new host!"

 

"Wait-" Cole's heart dropped "Are you saying that-"

 

"The only way to release the lightning spirit is to murder the body of the human host!" Rose happily cut him off.

 

---

 

"Cole do you ever wonder why we got our elements?"

 

"What're you talking about sparky?"

 

After training Cole and Jay had both decided to take a break and that's what led to here. Both of them on a soft grassy hill laying on their backs staring up at the sunny skies.

 

"Y'know like our powers how come we're the ones who have them and not someone else or why don't I have earth and you have lightning?"

 

"Hm, I've thought about it before but I guess I never really got anywhere. Why're you asking?"

 

Jay just shrugged in response.

 

"Well you know Wu said we got them from our parents." Cole reminded.

 

"I know that but even then how would that work with Kai and Nya? Why does Nya have water and Kai have fire? Why not the other way around? Not to mention Zane is a robot and Dr.Julian certainly wasn't the master of ice."

 

Cole was silent after that, lightning had a point. There had to be some reason why they specifically had these powers.

 

"Maybe it's because we're so alike"

 

Jay hummed in question. "What do you mean by that?"

 

"Well the way I see it all of us are just like the elements we use. Zane is cool and calculating but he can be soft under the right conditions, Kai's a hothead that destroys a lot like any fighter but he also brings warmth to everybody around him, Lloyd brings life and hope to everyone but makes sacrifices when necessary, and Nya can be nice and go with the flow one minute and lash out and be ready to kill someone the next. So in a way we're all exactly like our elements."

 

When Cole finished he turned his head to find Jay staring at him wide eyed. They stared at each other's eyes for what felt like forever and no time at all. Deep sapphire blues that were almost purple stared into green emeralds shot through with some earthy tones. Finally blue turned away with a soft smile on his face.

 

"Maybe you don't just have rocks for brains."

 

"Pfft you'd better believe it Zaptrap!"

 

" Pebbleboy "

 

"Sparkplug"

 

" Rockhead "

 

"Bluebell"

 

" Boulderbrain "

 

Then there was a comforting stretch of silence and suddenly a warmth wrapped around his hand. Cole didn't even look just held Jay's hand back.

 

Lightning is always reaching for the earth.

 

---

 

Cole moved without thinking. He doesn't remember winding up or even when his arms started turning into molten lava but next thing he did know was that Rose was ducking out of his way and his fist was breaking through the glass of the core that was keeping the spirit of lightning at bay.

 

White flooded the room and they were all thrown back.

 

Cole's vision was blurred but he could see two white glowing boots as they stepped out into the open crackling with electricity. Hovering just above the ground.

 

He tried tilting his head around more to see what was going on. Nya was a few feet away from him propped up on her elbows watching the thing Cole had accidentally released. Sluggishly Cole turned his head looking just in time to see Anthony Rose slowly trying to crawl away from the lightning creature that was just watching him.

 

Something felt wrong. Something bad was going to happen something here was very, very wrong. Suddenly there was a crack. Rose hit the floor then they stood up again but this time was different, this time his movements didn't even seem like they belonged to Rose. Regardless the psychopath stood up expression blank other than the eyes which spoke of true unbridled terror and walked over to "Jay". "Jay" smirked at the scientist before there was a flash and a scream and suddenly there was nothing left of Anthony Harlem Rose than a pair of yellow gloves, two rubber boots, and glasses that clattered to the ground.

 

The terrifying smile of something so raw wearing his best friend's skin turned to Cole and Nya.

 

It opened it's mouth like it was trying to talk but all that came out were garbled noises and buzzing like the static from an old radio. Like words were trying to be formed but were stuck on the wrong frequency. Cole's vision faded to black for a few seconds but when he snapped back Lightning was gone.

 

Shakily Cole stood and limped over to his friend.

 

"Nya can you- can you call Pixal at the hospital?"

 

It took a second for the dazed look to fade out of her eyes before she snapped to attention.

 

"Y-Yeah I can what do I tell her?"

 

"We need to warn her, tell her to get Jay out of there. Tell- tell her that the spirit of lightning will be coming soon."

Notes:

So how's everyone feeling with this chapter? I've been waiting months to hear everyone's reactions to this chapter so don't hold back on me with comments I want to hear em all

And don't freak out because even though this is the end to our two parter we are officially only halfway through Overload so stay tuned and I will see you all next Sunday!

I now have a mini comic for this part! https://aureallegories.tumblr.com/post/681012766182703104/one-of-my-favorite-scenes-from-my-bruiseshipping

Chapter 9: Static

Summary:

Can anyone be faster than lightning? Maybe you don't have to outrun lightning to be faster.

Notes:

Ironic that I'm posting the hospital chapter the day I have to be taken into the doctor for a hand infection
(Don't pick up an octopus apparently they bite and are venomous)
Anyways look at me I actually managed to put humor in this chapter!

The bike was being pushed to it's limits as they raced back towards the city. FSM knows it would never be fast enough to beat lightning.

 

"KAI! ZANE! LLOYD! ANYBODY! COME IN CAN YOU READ ME?!"

 

Nothing but static crackled through the com system until finally a voice broke through.

 

"Cole- crzzzzt- that -bzzzzzt- you?"

 

"Yeah it's me I'm with Nya now there's no time to explain! Get Pixal and Jay's body on to the bounty and get out of the city NOW."

 

"Crrrkkkt- Cole what- crzzt- why would- bzzrrt- ?"

 

"JUST DO IT!" He hollered through the mic.

 

"Nya! What's the situation with Pixal?" 

 

"I don't know she's not responding to her line!"

 

Cole swore under his breath and sped up even more.

 

Shouting came through the line again "Cole- bzzzzzz- we're on the bounty- craccck- sending location!"

 

Cole looked down to the screen on his bike, sure enough it had lit up with colored dots in certain locations. Cole quickly changed their course turning and gunning for the fastest path to the bounty. 

 

There was rumbling behind them in the distance towards Ninjago but Cole didn't look back. He had to get to Jay and the others they were the most important thing right now. Besides if Rose was right Lightning wouldn't stop until it had killed Jay and Cole couldn't let that happen. 

 

He couldn't even imagine losing Jay like that, killed by his own twisted up spirit. Cole shuddered no he couldn't let that happen he wasn't going to let that happen. Not to mention if it did then what? They'd have to find some kid that had inherited the lightning spirit? Cole would have to look in those deep blue eyes knowing that Jay died for them? Help train a kid so they could control the spirit that murdered the best friend he was pretty sure he was in love with?

 

No. Cole was gonna fix this.

 

He had to.

 

---

 

"Jay? You in here?" 

 

"Cole! Over here!"

 

Another mission landed them here. It might be rare but it wasn't unusual for one of them to get captured. 

 

Rushing down the hallway he eventually came to the door he thought he heard Jay behind. The door didn't stay on it's hinges for very long.

 

"Jay? are you- woah."

 

"Ha ha I know just help me out here please?"

 

Jay was there alright but his means of containment were a little... Odd. Silicone molds were cast over his hands and feet with his arms chained up to the ceiling. He looked like he was wearing giant squishy gloves and boots. 

 

"Uhhh"

 

"Yes Cole it looks stupid but it's the situation I'm in for right now so would you please just HELP ME!"

 

"Uh right right yeah" he muttered running over and prying the chains down and attempting to tear the silicone off.

 

Attempting being the key word.

 

Apparently silicone is not an easy thing to tear or get a grip on. Jay looked mildly frustrated at the fact that Cole wasn't successful before just sighing. 

 

"And I suppose you only have your hammer on you and not anything sharp?"

 

"Hehehe yeeeah" Cole laughed nervously. 

 

"Ugggghhh alright. C'mon let's just get out of here Kai'll have something on him." Cole couldn't help but snicker as Jay took a step and immediately got bounced onto the floor by the rubber around his feet. Jay just growled at his laughing and stuck his gloved hands up in the air for Cole to grab.

 

"Don't worry bouncy ball I gotcha" Cole chuckled.

 

"Do not. Call. Me. Bouncy ball." Jay snarled his eyes sparking a dangerous teal and white his words coated in so much venom they froze Cole in his tracks.

 

"Oh- okay." He gulped and continued to hobble outside with Jay.

 

"There you guys are we were starting to wonder if- what in the cursed realm..." Kai began and trailed off after catching sight of Jay's restraints. 

 

"Yes they're weird we've established this now would you please use a sword and cut me out of these damned molds!"

 

"Hmm I dunno~"

 

"NOW." Electricity crackled streaming out of Jay's eyes threateningly. And Kai jumped before scrambling back and grabbed one of his katanas. 

 

With a few careful cuts and some prying from Cole they managed to get Jay out. When they did Jay stood shakily wobbling slightly and he clutched his head. 

 

"Woah sorry bout that Kai." Jay said seeming to get more of a grip on himself. 

 

"O-kay" Kai replied nervously voice cracking in the middle of the word before scurrying away.

 

Jay just tilted his head confused. 

 

"Hey Jay?" Cole asked from his side "why did they use silicone of all things the restrain you?"

 

"Seriously Cole?" Jay deadpanned

 

"What?" Cole asked offendedly.

 

"Mygodyourdensesometimes OK so, silicone is just like rubber, it's not a conductor. I can't use my lightning if I'm surrounded by rubber or other nonconductive materials."

 

"Oooh, ok that makes sense so it's like vengestone for lightning?"

 

"Yeah in a way I guess. It's the reason I have non-latex rubber sleeves under my gi so I don't get burned. And if I had to venture a guess the connection with my lightning is probably also why I'm allergic to latex in the first place." 

 

"That's why you were all angry!"

 

"Huh?"

 

"That's why you snapped at me and Kai! That silicone junk was just like vengestone it was caging your element! That's why you were all angry!"

 

"I snapped at you guys?"

 

"Uhhh"

 

"Cole Brookstone don't you dare lie to me."

 

"You uh maybe kinda snapped at me and also maybe um threatened Kai.... Just a little"

 

Jay stumbled back a bit. "I- I what?"

 

"Hey Jay it's fine we all get a little testy when our elements are caged."

 

"Yeah but.... My element can't be that violent... Right?"

 

---

 

A loud boom shook the entire world and suddenly an electrical blast sent Cole and Nya flying off their bike. 

 

"Nononononono-" Cole ran to the machine trying to get it started up again but it just spluttered and died.

 

"Cole we need to go, like, now!" Nya yelled pushing Cole to his feet and they took off on foot.

 

"UP THERE!" Cole shouted pointing ahead of them at a ridge where the bounty was coming into view. Without a second thought Cole grabbed Nya's arm and they had jumped down and fell hard onto the deck of the bounty.

 

"Cole! Nya! What's going on!?"

 

"There's no time right now we need to get to the city, get Pixal and Jay, and get as far away from any electricity as possible! Lloyd call the police commissioner have everyone evacuate the city and stay as far from any electronics as possible!"

 

The youngest ninja puffed up his chest and saluted before running off to find a phone.

 

Zane shook his head and muttered "this is just the whole rebooted debacle all over again." Before running off to the cabin and changing course for the City.

 

There was a problem though. 

 

"Uh what is that?!"

 

An angry deep gray cloud had settled over the entire city swirling like a vortex lightning arcing across it. Not just a cloud, Cole scolded himself, a thunderhead. You couldn't miss where the eye of the storm was though. The entire cloud, the entire thunderhead that was blanketing the city had localized itself above none other than the Ninjago City hospital.

 

"Zane get us as close to the hospital as possible and watch out for lightning!"

 

"On it!"

 

As they got closer to the hospital Cole could see the electricity arching around the entire building.

 

It's searching.

 

"Kai, Lloyd, I want you to jump in and help get as many people out as possible but be ready to go once we have Jay and Pixal. Nya you and I are gonna get them on the ship and Zane you're going to get us as far away from here as fast as possible as soon as everyone's on got it? Good. Ready?"

 

Collective nodding and everyone sprang into action. Kai and Lloyd had found a broken window that they easily got through and started evacuating people and Zane apparently knew what room Jay would've been in and flew in a huge circle until they reached it.

 

Fear split through Cole when they came to the window in front of Jay's room. 

 

Pixal was backed up against the window-wall clutching Jay's body and across from them was that thing. Lightning in the twisted form of his friend seemingly frozen staring at Pixal and Jay. Cole knew how lightning was though, it was unpredictable and ready to change into something violent in fractions of a second. Meaning they didn't have time for this.

 

Once again for the second time in like the past ten minutes Cole grabbed Nya and jumped. 

 

Glass shards scattered across the room when they broke in and Lightning flickered for a second seeing them but apparently that was the unstable push it needed because suddenly it zipped over straight towards Jay, Pixal, and Him. But searing pain never came as something in a less glowy shade of blue slammed into the being of energy in it's purest form knocking it backwards. 

 

"... Nya, did you seriously just throw a hospital bed at a primal being made of pure energy... And win?"

 

"Looks like it. You can talk about how fucking awesome I am later, we gotta go!"

 

Cole shook himself and turned to Pixal who was still holding Jay as if letting go meant the end of the world which Cole respected the hell out of her for.

 

"Pixal the bounty is just outside this window can you make it if you need to jump?" 

 

"Affirmative even with Jay's extra weight I should be able to make it but I may require a boost." 

 

Cole nodded quickly glancing back to see that Nya was now wielding the hospital mattress in what looked to be this world's most intense pillow fight ever.

 

Cole carefully picked away some of the glass in the window before holding his hands together and crouching down. Pixal stepped on and pushed off with graceful efficiency turning to her back midair to make sure she landed on the wooden deck of the air ship and not Jay. 

 

At around the same time another window (first master this City need less glass) smashed open and twin streaks of red and green landed on deck. 

 

"Nya looks like that's our cue!" He yelled. Glancing over his shoulder before he jumped off landing hard on the deck like the others.

 

There was a thud and then... A second thud?

 

Cole looked over and spluttered "Nya seriously!? You brought the mattress with you?!"

 

A wide toothy grin split across her face"Hell yeah!" Cole just sighed but it didn't last long.

 

'CRACK!'

 

A bolt of lightning slammed into the deck reforming as the spirit.

 

Without any hesitation this time it charged but instead of meeting Jay or a mattress the spirit was met with the earth ninja.

 

Lightning went in for a punch but to Cole's surprise as soon as the electricity made contact with his skin the entire spirit seemed to be flung forward into Cole with a shriek. Cole felt that rush of electricity as he normally would being struck by lightning flow through him and down his feet and in a flash they all looked to see that Lightning was now back standing in the hospital room they were leaving behind them.

 

"I don't get it? Why isn't he coming after us?" Nya asked scared and confused at the same time. 

 

Cole kept his gaze trained on the spirit.

 

"Because of its anchor. Underneath all that lightning, Jay's still in there. Lightning isn't letting us go, Jay is."

Notes:

Damn kids need to quit jumping off of things. Some very important stuff has happened in this chapter whether it was easy to see or not wonder what's going on in Lightning's head...

Comments are appreciated!

Chapter 10: Insulation

Summary:

The team makes a plan to fight back against lightning

Notes:

Ed and Edna's 100% accurate accent brought to you by a Minnesotan also I lied apparently about only having the rest of the story from Cole's POV so this chapter is brought to you by Nya Smith

"So... Now that we're out of there could you two please explain what that was?" Lloyd asked with a disapproving tone. 

 

"Yeah but uh let's get everyone together and sit down for this one." Nya replied, she sent a nervous glance to Cole but he wasn't in his head at the moment. Cole was still standing at the railing looking at the spot where Ninjago had been before it disappeared behind the horizon. 

 

"Uh Lloyd why don't you get everyone to the bridge I'll be there soon." For a second the green ninja looked confused before catching sight of Cole, nodding, and then running off to gather everyone.

 

"Uh hey Cole. You doing- um well- y'know how are you doing?"

 

Cole just relaxed onto the railing with a heavy sigh. 

 

"What'm I gonna do Nya? All of this is crazy!  Jay's entire being got like ripped out of him and now that thing is on a death mission for us. And what are we gonna do if killing Jay is our only option? What am I gonna do?"

 

"Hey," Nya said "It's not gonna come down to that, we'll figure something out and get Jay back we always do." 

 

Tired hazel eyes met stormy bluish grey in a moment of understanding. 

 

"Now let's come inside and explain things to everyone before they start yelling." Both of them turned to walk towards the cabin and Nya leaned down to pick up the mattress and carry it in.

 

"You're seriously keeping that?" Cole asked and Nya looked him dead in the eye.

 

"Cole, I fought a primal deity of pure energy and lightning with a mattress and won. I'm either hanging this up in my room in the monastery or switching this out with the mattress I have in my bunk in the cabin."

 

Cool just smiled and shook his head as they walked to the others.

 

When they got there Red, White, Green, and Purple were all sitting down on one couch looking pretty peeved.

 

Cole chuckled nervously and they sat down on the other side of them. 

 

"Explain. Now." Her brother sternly said.

 

"Ok so y'know how you said that we didn't have an reason to go back to the storm farm?"

 

Kai's dour expression didn't change.

 

"Well we uh found a reason ehhehe..." 

 

At the deafening silence that was the response Nya took a deep breath.

 

"Look we both thought something was off and we went to go check it out after dark. When we were in there looking for clues Cole ended up touching the core and when I looked up at him I saw the eyes of something inside and whatever it was put a hand against the glass. Before we could even figure anything out though-"

 

"Ahr showed up." Cole hissed.

 

"Ahr? Like the experiment guy? But I thought Anthony was the only one at the plant." Lloyd asked confused.

 

"That's the thing." Nya said "Anthony is Ahr. His name is Anthony Harlem Rose... Not that it really matters anymore now." 

 

"What do you mean by that?" Kai asked spooked.

 

"He's dead Kai. He explained what he did to Jay but then the glass surrounding the core broke and that thing got out. First thing it did was zap "Ahr" into dust."

 

The guys looked mortified but Pixal just looked confused. "That still doesn't explain what that thing was or what it has to do with Jay and I need to know as much as I can if I want to find a way to wake him up."  

 

Cole sent nervous eyes over to Nya.

 

"No no no I saw that look! I know that look that's not a good look what happened what's wrong with Jay!" Kai stood up frantically.

 

Her confident demeanor shattered at that and tears welled in her eyes.

 

"Kai- Jay, Ahr he- he-" Nya tried to get it out she really did but it seemed like her adrenaline rush was quickly fading and a few silent tears dripped down her face. She didn't sob Nya never did even crying for her was a difficult feat.

 

"Woah hey hey hey it's fine Nya..." Kai said tone immediately switching from panic and worry to gentleness. "Whatever happened just take your time."

 

She took a sharp deep breath in and scrubbed her eyes immediately switching back into mission mode pushing anything else into the far back of her mind. 

 

"Okay well before Ahr got um, disintegrated, he monologued for a bit about what happened. Basically the power plant has been failing to get enough electricity and that nutjob thought the perfect way to fix that would be to use the spirit of lightning itself as a power source."

 

"That's insane! Nothing can handle our elements in their purest forms!" Zane said startled. 

 

"We know, unfortunately so did Ahr."

 

"What does that mean?" Lloyd asked worriedly.

 

Cole interjected for her now. "That thing that was in the hospital wasn't just the spirit of lightning. Ahr found a way to combine Jay's soul with the spirit and rip it out of his body."

 

The four others all gasped and recoiled in horror giving each other panic strike glances.

 

"It was unstable though," Cole continued ahead "Jay's mind and the spirit aren't meshing together right without his body it's keeping some of Jay's traits but the others are being overwhelmed by the power it's making him go nuts." 

 

"So how do we get it back to Jay?" Kai asked leaning onto his elbows.

 

Cole stared at the ground and Nya curled in on herself and looked out a window. Anything to avoid making eye contact.

 

"Guys. How do we fix Jay?" Kai was ordering more than asking at this point.

 

Finally Cole broke. "We can't! Or at least... we don't know how."

 

Everyone in the room stopped breathing. 

 

"W- what do you mean we can't fix him?" Lloyd practically whimpered and Nya felt an acute pain in her chest. 

 

"Apparently the spirit has more control than Jay does and it wants to be released back into a host but... For the spirit to find a new host it needs to get unfused with Jay and to unfuse with Jay the spirit has to destroy his body." Nya whispered loud enough to be heard. 

 

"So, not only do we not know how to fix Jay but some twisted version of him who we,  just to recap, CAN'T TOUCH is dead-set on killing him and won't stop until it does?!" Kai yelled.

 

"We can touch him though!" Lloyd got up. "Nya, you managed to hit him with that mattress right?"

 

"Uh yep?" 

 

"Well then what's the mattress made out of?"

 

"Traditionally the patient beds in Ninjago City Hospital are made out of a more comfortable version of a thin rubber." Pixal answered. 

 

Kai's eyes widened and he jumped in "so all we need to do is find as much rubber as possible and turn it into like weapons and armor just like how we used the stone that one time!"

 

"Yeah! but... Where are we gonna get that much rubber?" Lloyd asked.

 

A small alarm lit up and started beeping but Zane quickly turned it off and turned back to the conversation. "We are now entering the Sea of Sand."

 

Nya shuddered, she loved Jay but seriously how could someone grow up in a place as miserable as a desert?

 

Cole perked up beside her and looked out a window suddenly. "I think I know a place."

 

                 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

"Ed & Edna's Scrap N Junk? Jay's old home?" Kai asked reading the neon sign.

 

"Cole you're a genius." Nya said giving him a pat on the back. 

 

"I'm not saying you're wrong but uh why exactly is Cole a genius?" Kai asked still confused.

 

"Well for starters, Ed and Edna deserve to know what's going on with their son, and it's a junkyard they're bound to have scrap rubber and old tires here we can use." Cole said walking up to the gate. It was locked but that wasn't an issue for long when Cole typed in the code on the lock and the doors swung open with a groan.

 

Kai, Cole, Pixal, Zane and Nya all walked in, Lloyd having volunteered to watch Jay this time instead of Pixal or Zane again. 

 

"Ed I think we have visitors!" A sweet voice with a heavy northwestern accent called. 

 

"Ope, be there in a secon honey!" 

 

The door of the old trailer slammed open revealing one Mrs.Walker in pajama pants and a faded t-shirt.

 

Mrs.Walker was honestly the sweetest person Nya had ever met and she would fight someone on that if she had to.

 

"Ooh jeepers well hey there guys!" 

 

"Hi Mrs.Walker" they all said in unison.

 

"Why don'ch'all c'mon in and sit down" she said stepping aside and opening the door. Letting them all say their own thank yous as they sat down on the couch. 

 

Edna started pouring some coffee and asked if any of them wanted some, Nya was the only one to say yes, and then Ed walked in. 

 

"Oh well gosh this is unexpected so, what did our son do this time?" Ed asked casually.

 

Nya choked on her coffee and Cole shifted uncomfortably. 

 

"Welllll..." Kai dragged on. Bless her brother's soul but first master Kai could not put things gently for the life of him which meant it was time for her to cut in.

 

"It's a long story. A long story that ends in us needing all the scrap rubber you have."

 

Edna quirked an eyebrow. "This wouldn't happen to have anything to do with the amount of broken glass and lightbulbs that have been coming in does it?" 

 

Cole coughed dryly "uh maybe a little..." 

 

Edna sighed and Ed just laughed wholesomely. "Alrighty then, few a yous can come with me to get all the rubber rounded up and someone can stay behind and explain things to Edna... Cole, how boutchu Zane, Kai, and your new friend-" 

 

"Pixal."

 

"-Pixal come out with me to get all the rubber rounded up and Nya here can stay and explain things to Edna. Sound about good?" 

 

Cole nodded and swiftly walked through the door rudely. Kai just shrugged and followed and Zane after him Pixal actually took the time to thank Ed and Edna and hold the door open for the latter before they left. And with only Edna and Nya left in the room a coffee mug was set down with a deafening clank and Nya found herself looking into eyes made of steel.

 

As stated earlier Nya considered Edna the sweetest person she had ever met, however, Nya knew Edna could be just as scary as she was sweet when she wanted to be. 

 

"Alright shoot straight with me girl, how badly hurt is Jay that it's got Cole this upset?"

 

Nya gulped at the dead serious tone.

 

"It's bad." She wasn't gonna lie to her, Nya knew from personal experience Edna didn't take any bullshit.

 

The concerned mother shook her head muttering under her breath. "I swear ever since we found that boy he has never managed to stay out of trouble... So what exactly is the condition?"

 

"We can go see him if you want or maybe we should just move him in here for now, he's on the bounty with Lloyd."

 

Edna just sighed again throwing some boots on and opening the door "alright let's go see 'im."

 

Nya filled her in on everything on the way to the bounty and tried to gauge her mood. Edna just seemed to have a mix of disappointment and tiredness on the outside but her eyes told a different story. Her eyes spoke of worry and fear for her adopted son but it also had a heavy layer of determination piled onto it. The woman was always good in a crisis no matter what it was for someone who lived in the desert Edna sure reminded her of the ocean.

 

They walked quietly into the room finding Lloyd standing at attention ready to fight but quickly relaxing when he noticed who it was. "Hi Mrs.Walker" he said airily. 

 

"Hello Lloyd oh you've gotten so big since the last time I seen you!" She said with cheer as if she hadn't just found out that her kid was basically soulless and turned into an apathetic energy monster committed to killing itself. 

 

Lloyd giggled and tried to push off the old woman's hand as it ruffled his hair. "Now let's see em" Edna sighed turning to Kai's bed where no-longer-lightning laid prone. 

 

Edna knelt down next to him and moved some of the hair out of his eyes petting the top of his head softly. And Nya could almost hear Jay's whining 'Aw Ma! Stoppppp!' before Nya even noticed the feelings her eyes started to tear up.

 

"Welp how's about we get him into his old room for now?" She smiled getting back up.

 

And Nya carefully picked up her friend.

 

Jay was so light she could hardly believe it. He had always been a lightweight guy but he felt like he had dropped at least a few pounds. That wasn't just what scared her though he felt lighter in a different way. Like there was nothing inside of him. 

 

'There really isn't anything in him now' a part of her that needed to shut up said. As she silently carried him back to the trailer.

 

The rest of the night was nice in a domestic way. They ate, talked, planned, eventually a few of them went to the bounty to sleep and a few of them (Cole, Pixal, and herself) stayed in the trailer and slept on makeshift beds (with Nya on her new mattress weapon, or in Cole's case the floor next to Jay's bed). It wasn't much sleeping for Nya though. 

 

She just stared at the ceiling for a long while she didn't know how long, the concept of time lost to her empty whirlpool of a mind. 

 

In the end she didn't resolve anything for herself. She just stared until tired stressed blue eyes managed to creak shut.

Notes:

This chapter ok for me I like it. It isn't great or too exciting but I think it's nice

Next chapter is where the action really is

Chapter 11: Fulgurite

Summary:

When forces collide sparks begin to fly but what is power without creativity?

Notes:

Gaaahhhh this week felt WAY too long so I'm super hyped for this chapter although I somehow managed to leave you guys on a cliffhanger which I didn't remember at first until three hours later I was reminded that I split this chapter into two chapters so originally this chapter and next week's we're all one thing

anyways I finally got to watch seabound and it's safe to say that it's my favorite season to far although it's a little scary how many things in it were similar to what I'm writing and not just in this story. I also made a new mini comic thing for overload pt.2
https://aureallegories.tumblr.com/post/681012766182703104/one-of-my-favorite-scenes-from-my-bruiseshipping

Welp hope you all enjoy!

Cole was dimly aware that he was on the floor when he woke up, his brain taking a while to kick in and move the fog away. He stood up and looked over to see he was standing in Jay's old room with Jay himself laid down on the bed.

 

Oh.

 

Right.

 

That's what happened yesterday.

 

Yesterday was the day he found out he had almost no shot at ever getting Jay back.

 

He just stayed leaning over the edge of the bed gently brushing Jay's hair with his fingers.

 

Why did it have to be Jay? Why did it always have to be Jay? Why did the world insist on trying so hard to snuff out an element so bright? Jay hadn't done anything but have power this time. All Jay had done was exist the way he always had and somehow the world saw it as fit reason for him to be punished. It wasn't fair... Nothing was fair. But just once, could it be for Jay? Just once?

 

Apparently not.

 

"Cole honey?"

 

He released a breath he didn't know he was holding. A calloused yet delicate hand rested on his shoulder. "His Mrs. Walker."

 

"Ya'know no matter what, as long as he's got you that boy'll be just fine." She smiled and Cole turned up and gave her a tired grin.

 

"Now, all your friends are waitin' on ya we've got all the plans set up for your new armor and weapons we just gotta get everything all put together."

 

Cole's knees creaked as he rose until he stood several heads taller than the older woman. "Then we better get to work I suppose."

 

"Cole! You're finally up! Good, good, good, good, ok so I've got this idea for the insulation armor that I think we could..."

 

               ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

It took several hours. Honestly it took a ridiculously long amount of time to get everything set up, sized up, and fitted and it was already getting dark out again for the night but they were done so everything was good for now.

 

"So how does this work again?"

 

"It's pretty simple, we found a way to line the inside of our gis with rubber and Cole had been helping me shape some of it to make more solid pure rubber armor plates. But the weapons are the big issue. You can't really make sharp rubber but we also can't use metal weapons." Nya replied relaying how the armor would function.

 

"We won't need anything sharp though, I don't think the pure spirit of lightning has anything that could be stabbed." Lloyd pointed out.

 

"True but the problem is that we won't know if any of this works until we actually put it to the test..."

 

"Meaning we won't know if it'll protect us until we actually have to fight lightning."

 

"Right. So for now we should-"

 

"Uh Guys?" Kai cut her of and pointed towards the main gate.

 

"Kai? What's-" then they all saw it.

 

The neon sign, normally lit up in bright rainbow colors was flickering and sparking. One by one each letter sparked and died. All the ninja had formed a back to back circle.

Next, like a horror movie, each little Christmas light that was strung all around the junkyard exploded with a quaint pop until every light had gone out and they were left in complete darkness. Then the sky rumbled.

 

"He's here."

 

---

 

"Cole you gotta check this out!"

 

"What is it bluebell?" Cole said exasperated.

 

Jay had insisted that they have a sleepover at his parents trailer for the night which honestly was such a normal thing at this point that Cole hadn't even bothered saying no. He remembers hanging out here two years ago back when they were both around fifteen. They hadn't discovered their powers yet, and hey! anywhere was better than his crummy dance school! Not to mention Jay's mom made , like, the best chocolate chip pancakes he could ever imagine.

 

Cole had met Jay when they were fifteen and fourteen. Cole had gone to the arcade to escape another dance lesson and arrived to find the most confused kid in the entire world attempting to turn on an arcade cabinet. From the back.

 

Apparently it was his first time ever in the city which confused him because where else is there? Regardless he had walked over and tapped him on the shoulder and pointed out that, "no, it doesn't turn on from behind" and "yes, they were being serious when they said you needed tokens." Cole had offered to pay for some tokens but as soon as Jay had touched the machine something inside it short circuited and made it dump out at least seventy.

 

They had been friends since.

 

Jay was excitedly waiting for him to arrive at their picnic table outside the trailer. On the table was a stack of  little pieces of sheet metal scraps.

 

"Ok ok ok watch this!" Jay held his hand over the top of the stack and let some electricity spark down. Cole watched entranced as the scraps started to rattle and float in the air held up by the electrical currents. Jay moved the electricity around and with it the scraps made different shapes and patterns. At one point he even made a little person out of them.

 

"And check this out." The, then red head, said with a smirk. Jay made a finger gun making sure to keep one small scrap held up at the tip of his pointer finger. Carefully the master of lightning aimed and closed an eye and Cole watched electricity build up behind the metal bit.

 

"Aaaaand PEW!" Jay said and slammed his thumb down. At the exact moment the charge went off and shot the scrap forward sending it flying planting itself deep into a tire with a slice.

 

"That's awesome," Cole gasped out.

 

"I KNOW RIGHT?!!!" Jay jumped up and down flapping his hands making them generate more electricity. Then suddenly he slammed his hands down onto the table and leaning himself forward right into Cole's face.

 

"You know what we gotta do now right?"

 

 

"READY?" Cole yelled from behind Jay holding  their makeshift metal sled on top of the biggest hill of tires in the entire scrap yard.

 

"You know it!" Jay laughed. In one big thrust both Jay and Cole were taking the bumpiest, fastest trip he could've ever imagined.

 

"READY FOR THE JUMP"

 

"HELL YEAH!"

 

There was a new scraping noise as the sled started to incline on another metal piece that jutted out of the hill. A shock ran through the sled and suddenly they were flying. Cole was pretty sure he saw them go past a bird and then suddenly they were falling. Cole almost puked at the rush of his stomach deciding to do a flip.

 

"NOW!"

 

They both let the sheet go and they both went flying, metal sheet falling master knows where.

 

"BRACE FOR IMPACT!"

 

Cole landed with an " umph " in another pile of tires.

 

Jay did not.

 

The lie they told the rest of the ninja about how the lightning ninja broke his arm was pretty spectacular though.

 

---

 

The sky grew darker and darker as the moonlight was sucked away by dark storm clouds.

 

Everything was quiet, far, far too quiet. Then it erupted. A streak of lightning flashed down and changed until Lightning was standing in front of their circle grinning.

 

It stood there, it's mouth opened but only that radiostatic buzz came out. Cole just had too wonder what he could be trying to say. Was he asking them for help or was he taunting them like some regular villain or was it something else? Whatever it was was lost in translation.

 

Lightning just stood there smiling wickedly at them for so long Cole wasn't sure if he was hallucinating or not. Then crackling, crackling and rattling. Nobody else seemed to notice until Cole yelled. "GET DOWN!"

 

A shot of lightning struck right over the top of where they had all been standing.

 

"Well you guys wanted a test run for the armor, here's your test, now RUN!" Kai yelled and they all split in different directions.

 

Cole didn't move though lightning was distracted by everyone running, distraction was opportunity.

 

"Let's hope this works." He told himself as he grabbed the handle of his improved hammer. His weapon was the easiest to make out of everyone's seeing as rubber hammers already existed they just needed to make a bigger one. A warhammer.

 

Cole ran forward and swung letting a pillar of rock shoot out of the ground and hit the hammer from behind putting more force behind it. Somehow the hit connected. Lightning was thrown backwards into a pile of scraps tendrils of lightning still connected to the clouds reaching out to it.

 

Suddenly several whoops were let out from around the yard as his teammates rose up from their hiding spots. They celebrated to soon though.

 

Rattling noises started and Cole's eyes widened.

 

'it gets dragged down by the soul's memory'

 

Electricity began to crackle around the scrap metal and suddenly lighting was right in Cole's face, smiling.

 

"every. body. RUNNN!" He screamed and everyone took off towards the direction of the bounty.

 

Creaking noises sounded and Cole had to back up at something that was forming from the metal in front of him. He needed a better look. He shot up a pillar high enough to get a look at the whole yard. They were soldiers. Lightning was using the metal shock trick to create sparking blue illuminated soldiers.

 

And they were going straight for his friends. Zane hit one of them with his new sword but the sharp metal just cut into the rubber of the sword. "Aim for the center where the electricity is focused!" Cole called out and this time it works. The electricity is interrupted and the soldier crumples.

 

He let his pillar retract and threw a smaller one up behind him throwing him forward up to meet Kai.

 

"Where's Jay and the Walkers!?" Cole yelled running beside his red brother.

 

"Ed snuck out the back and brought Jay into the bounty when you yelled the first time!"

 

Then there was a noise. It was like the slow to build shriek that fireworks or nerf whistle arrows make then there was a loud crack. Cole caught the movement just out of the corner of his eyes a small piece of shrapnel whizzed right past his cheek.

 

Oh no.

 

"LOOK OUT!" Like that more and more cracks went off as more and more shards of metal flew out at them.

 

"AUGH" Nya cried out in pain now clutching her shoulder and limping and Kai immediately slowed down with her.

 

"Guys c'mon! You need to keep moving!" Lloyd yelled at them but they were falling behind more and more each second.

 

Lightning was zapping it's way closer and closer to the Smith siblings by the second.

 

Without even thinking Cole had charged as fast as he could over to them. He slammed his hammer down into the soft ground and Lightning broke apart and howled and flickered for a second at the interruption of the sand cloud. Kai took his chance and started half carrying Nya away.

 

Cole and Lightning just stared at each other stuck in standoff until finally Lightning pulled an arm back. Electricity from the sky zapped down connecting with the punch giving him more and power. Until finally Lightning threw it's arm forward.

 

It wasn't expecting Cole to catch it.

 

Lightning shrieked as it's arm disappeared into Cole's own. Shocks ran across the black ninja's body down to his feet then suddenly the electricity was being sent out in a shockwave across the ground. Spires of super heated sand shooting up everywhere as fulgurite blasting out of the ground. Seemed lightning forgot Cole could direct it anywhere he wants. Anywhere he wants...

 

Lightning panicked for a second over his arm before more fulmination shot down from the sky and made it reform. Lightning hissed at him but it didn't matter. This was Lightning this wasn't Jay.

 

"Try me bolt head" Cole glared and Lightning actually flickered for a second almost like it was caught off guard. Then the worst possible thing happened.

 

Lightning remembered why it was here.

 

Lightning always tries to find the fastest path to the ground. The fastest path to its mission.

 

It zapped straight behind Cole, and headed straight for the bounty.

 

Straight for Jay.

Notes:

Fun fact: this chapter was originally written with Edna jumping in on her motorcycle and straight up scolding the spirit of lightning while the others got to the ship but I couldn't keep it for idk plot conflicts \_-_-_/ honestly I'm considering just posting the cut version as an alternate little cut story

Hope y'all enjoy the cliffhanger because this means next Sunday we're picking up right where this ended and if any of you are curious this is what Lightning/Jay sound like when they try to talk https://youtu.be/wffIdh0CZWs

Having a crummy day can't find a Lego set I've been looking for anywhere so Comments are appreciated

Chapter 12: Lightning in a Sandstorm

Summary:

Conductors and Insulators can be found in many places even the unexpected ones

Notes:

Happy Easter to those who celebrate here's the newest chapter of overload this is the half of the last chapter that got cut off made into it's own

Cole tried, he tried as hard as he could to make it there faster but the expression "fast as lightning" exists for a reason.

 

One second the blue energy was in front of him, the next it was on the deck of the bounty with Kai, Nya, Lloyd, and Pixal standing in its way.

 

"the primal instincts of the spirit's pure power overload any sense of thought the soul has so he'd destroy anything that came in his way!"

 

The sand around Cole twisted around him and suddenly he was on the deck with them. Everyone was suddenly thrown off their feet as the bounty lurched into the air.

 

"ZANE WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Kai yelled.

 

"What else am I supposed to do!? It's not like the bounty has faraday shields!" He shouted back.

 

Cole didn't know what to do. They needed to stop Lightning before it got to Jay but how do you stop a force of nature?

 

An idea popped into his head. He ran into the command center where Zane was trying to steer. The radar beeped and blared and Cole saw what he was looking for.

 

"Zane! Turn us sixty degrees North and keep straight!"

 

"What?! But there's a sandstorm that way!"

 

"EXACTLY!"

 

---

 

"How long do these normally take?" Cole asked sticking his face to the window.

 

"Eh it depends this one's pretty minor so probably only a few hours." Jay said sitting down across from him on the booth table in the trailer, setting down a steaming cup of hot chocolate for Cole and tea for himself.

 

"These storms are so crazy I can't see anything but sand!" Cole always liked watching the sandstorms at Jay's home. Sand was just another form of earth and it was hard to feel more connected to earth than when it's literally blowing all around you.

 

"Yeah they're pretty cool for you I suppose... Hey check this out!" Jay said hopping up to the door. He carefully stuck the top of his head outside into the whirlwind before slamming the door shut again. "Ta-da!"

 

The black ninja had to hold back a snort. Jay's hair was so covered in Sand it almost looked blonde and with the windblown look he almost- "YOU LOOK LIKE KAI!" Cole wheezed clutching his chest laughing far too hard.

 

Jay struck a pose with a snobbish face. "Kai wishes he looked this good." For a second Cole stopped and there was silence before both of them devolved into a mess of laughter so gut busting tears formed in their eyes.

 

Jay shook like a dog getting the sand from his hair all over the place. Quickly as he did though he went to the back and grabbed a dust pan.

 

"Do you mind if...?"

 

Cole swished his hand and all the little particles swept into the tray for Jay to deposit into the trash can.

 

Jay sat down beside him this time and laid his head down on Cole's shoulder. If the lightning ninja noticed how much more red the earth ninja's face had gotten he didn't show it.

 

"I always hated these storms the sand hair thing is one of the only things that I like about them. The sand always makes it hard for me to concentrate for some reason like it sucks the energy right out of me... Having you here makes it pretty bearable I guess."

 

Yep, his face was definitely at maximum capacity for turning red. Thing is though... Jay's almost looked a little pink now too... Probably nothing, Jay's almost always sunburnt, it's nothing, probably, definitely, maybe.

 

Next thing Cole knew there was a loud snap noise and a flash and he startled awake. So did Jay who immediately started screeching.

 

"MA! GET RID OF THAT!"

 

Edna just giggled and ran away surprisingly fast playing a game of keep away with her son.

 

Finally his brain booted up and he lifted the visibly upset Jay off the ground with minimum effort.

 

"Hey, bluebird, chill. It's fine!"

 

"But she-! I-! Can't just-!" Jay crossed his arms and huffed indignantly blowing some stray copper hair out of his face. "Fine." He grumbled pouting looking honestly kinda cute with his face all scrunched up.

 

"But I'm totally gonna find that picture one day and zap it into dust!"

 

Jay did find the picture of them sleeping in the booth together one day.

 

Cole knows, because he found the picture pinned up on Jay's memory wall.

 

---

 

Lightning blasted the ground all around the bounty but the true Lightning was already on it.

 

The wood beneath its feet charred slightly into blackened footprints even if Lightning was floating a few inches above it. "Lloyd I want you to stand sentry in front of Jay's room. Pixal go get Nya to the back where the first aid kit is and then join Lloyd. Kai you stay with me and keep Lightning from burning down the bounty." Nods of agreement went around Pixal, Nya, and Lloyd all ran deeper into the ship. Kai scampered over to Cole's side.

 

"You got a plan right?" Kai said glancing between him and the glowing deity who seemed a bit confused with the sudden switch up.

 

"Just make sure the deck doesn't go up on flames this is a time game." Kai gulped but nodded.

 

Lightning stood for a second and here on the deck Cole could really look at them. Honestly it really did look like Jay. Even if he was glowing brighter than the sun, his hair was floating as if it was submerged in water or master forbid that test tube again, and every outline was stark white it still looked like Jay. It still had fluffy looking hair, it still had a small upturned nose, it still had a slim  rounded face, it still wore a gi, not one Cole recognized though it was sleeveless and it had fingerless gloves like a mashup of Jay's favorite outfits.

 

Then they lashed out. Lightning shot straight towards the door to the bottom deck but Cole stretched and arm out and to Lightning's confusion suddenly he was back where he started. Lightning locked eyes with Cole and reared up and hissed. His entire body flared out and the sky rumbled angrily.

 

"Sorry Sparky,' Cole said 'but I can't let you do that."

 

Things got brutal after that. Lightning switching direction and charging each and every second screaming and lighting up the sky in a blue purple color.

 

Kai scrambled with every one of the hits. Lightning wasn't exactly paying attention to him but every time they got thrown back a new fire would start somewhere on deck.

 

Kai wasn't the one with the worst of the issues though. Cole was getting tired, too tired and getting tired was not good at all. He was having to be faster than lightning and Cole just wasn't. He couldn't keep this up forever he couldn't keep up with lightning.

 

Cold sweat broke out on his forehead his entire being felt like it was buzzing. Energy going in and leaving him fast over and over again in a matter of seconds. He felt part of him burning inside. The electricity was wearing him out and he felt like he was getting close to puking.

 

'Little longer' he told himself 'just a little longer for Jay..."

 

His breathing was heavy and Kai seemed to notice looking at him concerned. He was probably talking to him but Cole couldn't hear it the buzzing was to loud. First master he'd never taken in this much electricity for this long before.

 

Lightning reared up again and Cole got the feeling that this was the last time he was ever going to see his friend's face even if it wasn't really his.

 

And then, and then Cole felt something else.

 

Like warmth was coming into him from behind. Like a familiar hug wrapping around him extending out.

 

Lightning looked startled and Cole smirked at them. It charged forward but as soon as it got close it surged violently. Blue and purple turned a bright golden color and spiked out losing it's Jay form.

 

Lightning stumbled backwards and again surged before being thrown even further back. It's attacks became less and less effective as the bounty descended further and further into the sandstorm just as Cole had hoped.

 

It was like a forcefield was surrounding the bounty as the sand engulfed the entire ship.

 

Kai ran over to Cole who fell to one knee. "Dude how did you do that- okay better question how'd you know it would work?"

 

Cole smiled at Kai. "Sand's an insulator, sandstorm equals no lightning."

 

Kai patted him on the back and Cole hissed feeling a sudden burst of pain that slowly began to spread over the rest of his body.

 

"Cole... Are you-"

 

Everything slowly faded to black.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

"Ugggghhh" he moaned pushing himself up. It hurt to blink it hurt to move fsm everything hurt.

 

"Well nice to see one of you two still knows how to wake up."

 

"Unh... Nya?"

 

"Yep."

 

Cole was now aware of the fact that he was in the cabin where Jay was laid out with bandages wrapped all along his arms.

 

"How long was I out?" He said holding a hand to his pounding head. Seriously why was the room spinning so much?

 

"Ah about four days."

 

Cole almost fell out of the bunk. "Four days?! Seriously?!"

 

"Yeah based on what Kai said I think you basically had the equivalent of drinking 78 five hour energies while being tazed and then passed out so consider it a big sugar crash. Honestly you bounced back wayyyy quicker than I thought so congrats but now I owe Zane twenty bucks."

 

Cole took some time to run all those words through his foggy brain before he finally caught up.

 

"Where are we?"

 

"We've been riding out inside the sandstorms scattered everywhere but it's not exactly our biggest issue anymore."

 

"Then what is our biggest issue?"

 

"Lightning isn't going after us anymore."

 

"How is that possible? Better yet how is that an issue?"

 

"Because, Lightning isn't attacking us anymore. It's attacking Ninjago."

Notes:

I did it I went a whole week without updating any stories, worst week of my life but annnnyway... It's hard to believe that there's only three chapters left of this fic and two are filler it's so strange to think about. I imagine Jay has memory issues because of lightning being an "in the moment" kind of element so he takes pictures to help him remember things

Sooo.... How would everyone feel if I told you that next Sunday's chapter is going to be narrated by someone with quite the ELECTRIC personality

Chapter 13: Brainstorm

Summary:

E̶̛̤̤̐̓̾̾̋̈̾̆̐͝ͅǹ̸̹͙̮͉̰̗̖͚̀͂ȇ̸̱͓̟͍̹͉̜͈̭̤͕̗̹̦̑͑̀̅̚͝r̶͔̄͂̔̅͜g̵̢̡̮̱̙͈̪̤̰̱̖̝̎͐y̷̧̯̞̘̦͈̠̠̘̔̈̂̈́̈́̀͝ ̵̲̜̫̝̘̙̮͇̮̯̈́͒̉̏̑̉͘͜i̵̧̘̲̹͂̈͌̓́̾̚s̵̛̩̹͙̰̜͍͚͇̹̺̿̎̍̓̊̓̀̏̈́̀̓͗̕ ̴̨̙̻̥̯̬͉̼̇͐̾̆̐̄̋͋͝͝͝ę̸̨̯̜̝̗̗̖̠̥̹͚̠́̽̐̽v̸̢̡̜̟͎̯̭̙̥̤̳̦̓̾̚ͅȩ̷̲̳̙̩̟̰̒̐͛r̷͉̂͆̐̒̄̐͌͛͐̀̇̈ý̵̧̼͓̆̍̀́̋̏͊̋͒̈́t̵̡̨̡͍̲̮̱͇̱̾̓̅̅̅͗̕̕h̶̝͙͗̌̅̈́̌́́̅̌̐̕͘͝͝i̶̠͙͚̱̮̜̪̺͍͕̬̘͈̓̓̎͑̊́̌͛́͗͗͆̕͜͜n̶̹̮̦̟̹͙̬̖̓̓̏͘͘g̷͔̗̼̞̼̤̙̊̂̈́͑̾͋̆̇̕̕ͅ ̴̡͔̇̉̈́̄

Notes:

So this is quite the out of the box chapter if it wasn't obvious from the notes in the last chapter this chapter is from Lightning's POV

To make this less confusing

It: spirit of lightning

He: Jay

They: Lightning/the team depending

Everywhere

 

Everything

 

Everywhere

 

Everything

 

They are everywhere they can feel it. Everything it's all them they are everything they are everywhere they can feel it.

 

They can feel themselves in everything every object every substance they are everything and everything everywhere.

 

They are past even this worl- no. No they can't go there.

 

Why not?

 

Can't.

 

Can't too far, much too far need to stay.

 

He can feel them. He reaches out to them he can feel them in them. That's how they find them.

 

They're stuck together.

 

They were always together.

 

It's different now.

 

Why?

 

There's no connection.

 

It needs the connection. It needs to go needs to find a new one.

 

Can't.

 

Can't. He's still here. 

 

It's still with him they are them they need to leave. It needs the connection and he needs to go.

 

They're in the way.

 

They need to get to him. It needs to destroy him and he needs to get back to him. They need him.

 

But they're in the way. It can feel them in them he could just- no. 

 

Can't.

 

Why?

 

Wrong. It's wrong. He cares for them. They are stuck together. His cares are its cares and its are his. His override its sometimes. Those are one of them.

 

Can't touch them they mean to much to him. But they're in their way. They need to stop being in their way.

 

He is the main problem.

 

Which one?

 

The black one.

 

They can't touch him. He can make them move. He can control them. 

 

He needs to be eliminated.

 

He is the best of them all.

 

They can't decide. He needs to be destroyed but the black one protects him. 

 

The black one is bad. The black one is the best.

 

The black one makes them lose control. The black one is always in control.

 

The black one promises of nothing but confusion he is an obstacle. The black one promises of love and warmth he wants to see him again.

 

No. Bad. They need to stay on task. They can't move when they aren't on task.

 

Destroy the link. Free them. Stay on task. It can find a new one. He can pass on. Stay on task.

 

Go for them again.

 

Can't.

 

Why?

 

The sand. The sand is horrible. The sand is home. The sand makes them useless. The sand is where his loved ones are.

 

The black one. The black one with the hazel eyes. He was there once. 

 

They can make things out of the metal. It can do so much more than that.

 

Can't.

 

Why?

 

To much. He's still here. He is the anchor he is why they cannot complete their task yet. He is what stops them from their fullest potential.

 

Home. Home was where the black one is. Home is where the green and white and purple and grey and red ones are.

 

They used to be there.

 

They used to be in the place. The place where he feels them most. The place where it began and ended.

 

Ninjago. Home. 

 

He wants to go home. It has no home. 

 

They only have memories. 

 

The colored ones share these memories.

 

They call the place where it began "home" too.

 

They protect their home.

 

He never quits. The others never quit.

 

Then they should put that to use.

 

They will not quit to protect their home. They'll bring him to them. Begin to destroy the home and they will come. 

 

It will be easy they can destroy it all just by- no.

 

Can't.

 

Why?

 

Too much. Can't destroy home. Wrong. He protects home. They protect home. Can't destroy home completely.

 

Damage it. It could damage it. They could damage it. They don't need to destroy it completely. They have the metal they can damage it. 

 

Yes. 

 

Damage. 

 

They can do that.

 

Damage the city. Draw them out.

 

Kill him. Release it. Pass him on.

 

Yes.

 

Why?

 

They need too.

Notes:

This chapter is so short and hard to follow I apologize for that honestly this chapter (and the next) don't even need to exist but my ADHD ocd riddled brain refuses to end this on the number 13 or 14 thirteen is bad luck and fourteen is too close to a multiple of five so you got an extra two chapters.

So you've seen the way Lightning "thinks" how much more terrifying does that make it? To tell you I way shaking when writing this chapter and the next would be an understatement so let me know what you thought of it

Comments are appreciated

Chapter 14: Carrying Current

Summary:

Souls carry memories, Conductors carry currents, Cole carries both.

Notes:

Helllllloooo readers! It feels like I haven't posted in months but it's only been a week. How ironic I post this during a storm anyway, get ready for choppy povs and more flashbacks than you've seen in your entire life!

---

 

"Hey Jay, how're you doing?" Cole said gently padding into his best friend's room.

 

The response he got was a pained moan.

 

How long had it been since Jay had gotten sick? It was hard to tell, Jay had been sick for a while they just hadn't realized it. Nobody could figure out why either, it's like Jay had just gotten more and more tired before finally after one of their missions he just crashed. He's been on bed rest for the past three days.

 

"Yeah kinda thought so. Well y'know it's been a while since you've been able to come on missions with us and I thought you'd feel a little trapped so I got you this." Cole dug around in his pocket for a moment before pulling out a small bag. Jay had sluggishly turned his head over to the side to look at him.

 

"They aren't as good as yours but I figured you'd like em." He handed Jay the small package and watched him open it with shaky hands. Jay's eyes drifted shut but he smiled as he flipped through the blurry photos Cole had taken while they were out.

 

" Heh heh yur a relly bad photongrapher ." Jay breathlessly laughed out.

 

"Hey don't judge! I'm not the photographer here you are!" Cole chuckled and Jay let out a small laugh along with him.

 

" Thamks Cole~" he slurred out trying so hard to stay awake.

 

"You're welcome Bluebell." He smiled back and slowly got up. "You should get some rest 'kay?"

 

"Mhmm..." Jay nodded and as Cole got up and turned off the lights in the room he swore he could hear it probably a fluke of some sort, his hearing being stupid or maybe it was just wishful thinking but he swears that he heard a small: "Love you." Before the door closed.

 

Two days later a storm swept through Ninjago and Jay was back to normal like he had never been sick in the first place.

 

---

 

Nya tossed him a bottle of Tylenol. "We're waiting for you before we make a move. Meet us in the bridge in five minutes."

 

Cole nodded and crawled out of bed. Making his way to the bridge was much harder than he thought it would be, his entire body just ached.

 

He stopped, hearing voices from around the corner.

 

"We need to do something!"

 

"Something like what?! We don't have any idea what to do here!"

 

"Well we can't just hide in sandstorms forever!"

 

"I don't think we have a choice! It's gonna keep destroying the city until we find a way to stop it!"

 

"Well... we do know one way to stop it..."

 

"Do we actually have to start considering... Y'know?"

 

The silence was heavy and Cole knew what they were implying he didn't want to believe it though.

 

"This needs to stop soon and as much as I hate to say it our duty is to the city first and foremost."

 

"I don't think any of us have the heart to do it though, and what about Cole? What's he going to do if we have to tell him we've decided the only way to stop this is to kill Jay?"

 

Cole almost collapsed to his knees just barely managing to catch himself on the wall without making a sound. Silently he stumbled away.

 

---

 

He's gonna leave everyone behind

 

He was going to die and leave behind all of his friends all of his family.

 

He wants to tell Cole so badly but he can't do that to him. He could never do that to Cole. Besides how would he even go about bringing that up?

 

Oh hey guys just so you know I'm dying and I actually have been for a while! Yeah right.

 

Somehow he's still having a hard time comprehending it all doesn't change the fact of the matter though.

 

He was dying and he could feel it happening to him.

 

---

 

Cole shakes and lashes his head around. What- what's happening?! He wasn't dying! Those thoughts they- they weren't his own but then who's were they?

 

His head felt so fuzzy. Why did his head feel so fuzzy?

 

It's times like this when he wishes he wasn't the lightning ninja.

 

Wait... no, where did that come from? Jay was lightning he was earth.

 

He barely suppressed a yell of pain when his head suddenly roared.

 

---

 

"COLE?!" His head turned to find Jay running towards him.

 

"No way- umph!"

 

Jay slammed into him.

 

"I can't believe you're here too! So you've got like crazy powers too? What ones do you have?! Wait wait wait let me guess you areeee... Earth! I bet you are, you're just like the Earth! Did that old guy recruit you to ? If you're earth then do you control things like rocks and stuff? Hey do you think-"

 

Cole just blinked at him. He felt like he hadn't seen Jay in so long, not since his dad had buckled down on him for ditching school. Did his hair change color? It looked darker than before. He still had a permanently sunburnt freckled face though. And his eyes almost seemed deeper now, more blue than ever before. Still, Jay didn't look that different than he had last time Cole had seen him... So why did this feel different? Why did it feel like all the oxygen had left his lungs this time?

 

"Cole?"

 

"Y-Yeah yeah I'm earth and the old guy brought me here too. Uh... What- what power do you have?"

 

Jay gave him the whitest smile Cole had ever seen in his life.

 

"I'm lightning!"

 

---

 

Oh, he was in the cabins now. When did he get to the cabins?

 

Why was everything tilted and... Blurry? Yeah that was the word right? Blurry.

 

Wait... stuff wasn't supposed to be blurry.

 

Did he have a concussion? He never hit his head though... Not to mention whenever anyone else had a concussion on the team they couldn't tell that they had one.

 

Okay not a concussion but then what?

 

The buzzing came back or... Had it not stopped?

 

He doesn't know anymore.

 

He's seeing double his head feels like it is double.

 

Then his mind roars in agony.

 

---

 

"OW!" Kai shook his hand and stuck his finger in his mouth.

 

"What's wrong what happened?" He asked

 

"The stupid light switch shocked me hard."

 

"Uh yeeeah that might be my fault..."

 

They all turned to look at Jay and Kai immediately broke out laughing.

 

"Duuude" Kai wheezed "what in the cursed realm is that?!"

 

Jay's face went beet red. "I- it's just the static electricity it's not that weird!"

 

"Your hair! Have you even seen your hair!"

 

Jay's hair was floating around and frizzy electricity sparking off of him.

 

"No Kai I haven't seen my hair but it must look pretty bad considering you're always looking at yours and it still ends up like that."

 

Even Zane was laughing at the now stunned Kai.

 

"Wh- well I- argh!" The smell of smoke arose and suddenly the sprinkler systems went off drenching the four of them.

 

Jay's hair immediately flattened to his face turning a dark brown with the water.

 

"You're just lucky that the water gets rid of static otherwise I'd totally give you the shock of your life." Jay grumbled to Kai and they pushed their way out of the room.

 

---

 

Cole's eyes snapped open. He was still in the cabin still standing in the middle of the room clutching his head. His vision clears for a moment and he turns with a start at a sudden noise.

 

The tv in the cabin had turned itself on.

 

But it wasn't playing any tv show.

 

---

 

"Cole, do you ever wonder why we do all this?"

 

He turned his head to Jay who was swinging his legs over the side of the monastery walls.

 

"Do all of what?"

 

"Protecting Ninjago"

 

Cole gives him a look of surprise before turning back towards the city in the distance.

 

"Not really to be honest, I guess I just always felt like this was what I should be doing, y'know? Like this was what I'm supposed to do"

 

"Yeah but do you think that or were we just told we should think that? Why do we have to protect Ninjago? I mean don't get me wrong it's not like I don't like protecting people but... Why did Wu bring us all together? The original elemental alliance members were just... People before everything happened. So how come it's up to us?"

 

In full honestly Cole had been worried about his friend. He just seemed like he was in a kinda mood lately, him and Nya.

 

"I guess because... We're the only ones who will. The old masters may have just been people but even they came together when they realized something was more important than just them. So in a way we're just doing what they could've been doing all along, helping people together. We're all stronger together and if the elemental masters beat people alone then being together makes us all better."

 

Jay grimaced at that. "I guess..."

 

Cole sighed, Jay had a few tells and Cole could recognize when he was done talking.

 

"How about this hop on my bike and we'll go take a look at what we're really fighting for."

 

Jay simply shrugged and hopped the ten feet off the wall onto the ground landing on his feet. Cole never ceased to be surprised by how casually Jay did things like that. He wasn't one for broken ankles though so he just used the bricks of the wall as a set of stairs before following the sulking lightning master to his bike.

 

The next few hours were some of the best in his life.

 

When the sun in ninjago went down everything lit up in bright neon colors in a way that when you zoomed past them they seemed like stars and galaxies swirling around you.

 

For the first time in a long time he didn't feel the crushing weight of the world he didn't feel scared or stressed. Just awestruck at the city around him and the person he was with. The best person he had ever met, his best friend.

 

Cole.

---

 

For a very long time he stood staring at the TV screen as it continued to play through all that happened that day. When it was done it started flashing between different things he remembers. All of them defending Lloyd, group hugs after stressful missions, smiling and laughing from the team as they messed around, the snuggle piles they made after a family game night, dinners they'd eaten together, all of the happy things they had all experienced as a team.

 

He remembers those nights but not from this point of view it was like he was watching from someone else's eyes like- like he was seeing what Jay saw.

 

That realization struck and suddenly his vision blurred again.

 

---

 

Pain.

 

Pain was all he knew.

 

With one slam of a switch thousands upon thousands of volts of energy began forcing their way to him forcing their way INSIDE of him. Involuntary tears slashed across his face only serving to put him in more pain as the water became electrified.

 

He could hear his own screaming it was so loud. It was like personified agony was being ripped from his throat as he wailed and it echoed around him.

 

How did he get here? How did he go from wallowing about his own soon to be death to tied up and being jumpstarted like some fucking car battery?

 

His screaming only continues the pain isn't stopping. He's going to die and it won't be in the peaceful way that he knew was going to come a few weeks from now.

 

No, it's going to be a painful agonizing death brought on by his own lost element.

 

And he couldn't do anything about it.

 

He's going to die alone and somehow that's worse than he thought his slow slipping away death would be.

 

More pain racked up across him but it's too late for him.

 

Jay lets it consume him.

 

---

 

What- what was that?

 

He held his hands up in front of his face. They were shaking so badly he almost missed it.

 

A small crackle of blue just between his fingers.

 

He turned to look at the mirror they had put up in the cabin. There it was, just the tips of his hair had risen. Almost like... Almost like he was about to be struck by lightning. Or like there was already some in the room.

 

The room swirled. One second he was in the cabin the next he was seeing black with blue particles, spots, veins. Like he was seeing the very energy that made up the world. Like he was seeing something far beyond him.

 

And then he was back in the blurry spinning cabin. He looked at Jay. One second it was his sleeping friend then the next it was blue veins of electricity then back to normal. Like the world itself was glitching. He stayed with his eyes locked on Jay.

 

Voices started.

 

Whispers that weren't quite recognizable but could still be identified as Jay and him. Bits of every interaction they've ever had, memories turned into voices that flowed around.

 

They got louder and louder the closer he got to Jay and Cole wasn't even entirely sure why he was walking towards him. It was like he was calling him like something was calling him telling him to get closer and closer to the blue one.

 

Cole reached a hand out just barely above Jay's arm and in one arc blue electricity shot out from his hand to Jay and his head suddenly cleared.

 

It was like everything, all the buzzing, all the voices, all the blue flowing forces, were just gone. The room wasn't spinning anymore his body didn't ache there was no buzz in his head and his vision had completely cleared.

 

Cleared enough for him to see when Jay's hand twitched.

 

Clear enough to see when Jay's eyes scrunched up.

 

Clear enough to see that even if it had immediately stopped, Jay had moved on his own for the first time in two months.

 

Cole's eyes start to water and he thinks they would've turned into tears if the rest of the team hadn't come in at that exact moment.

 

"Cole seriously it's been ten minutes what's taking so-"

 

"I know how to get Jay back."

 

The entire team had frozen and stopped in the doorway. Cole turned to them standing taller.

 

He was the leader on this one. He called the shots and he wasn't backing down he wasn't losing anyone. Not this time.

 

"I know how to get Jay back," he repeated and marched onto the deck of the bounty everyone following after him.

 

Wind whipped his hair as he looked off the bounty in the direction of Ninjago City.

 

"And I've got a plan."

Notes:

Y'all I sat down and wrote this shaking and grinning like a maniac.

Thank you to Lilo who gave me the idea for the tv flashbacks it fit very well into the theme of this chapter!

Seven days

In seven days this fic will be over one way or another and all will come to rest

In seven days the team will have their final face off with lightning and Jay's fate will be decided

So,

How're we feeling?

 

Comments are appreciated!

Chapter 15: Surge, It All Ends Today

Summary:

So this is it
The grand finale
The day to end all days
The final surge

It all ends today

Notes:

So it's finally time, the final chapter of Overload literally written during a lightning storm and by some crazy coincidence posted in a rainstorm

Update: the day after posting this a MASSIVE thunderstorm swept through my town holy shit

Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1SlP3R99oUYOxtVGzMlcmQ?si=DdZxlox9S6C1iwF97RhvsA&utm_source=copy-link

A special thank you to authoriwouldkillforyou and Byrd who's comments never ceased to make me excited and for all the others who were with me the whole way with their feedback and comments that made me smile

Now, let's get to it shall we?

 

---

 

"Dude seriously what were you thinking?!"

 

"Look I know you're mad but it's not like I was trying to fail!"

 

"Kai, Jay, knock it off! Today was equally horrible for all of us but don't just yell about it." Zane snapped at the two.

 

"But it was his fault! You both saw it! You totally could've hit that guy with your lightning and you didn't! Were you trying to get us killed or what?!" 

 

"NO! I- I'm not- just- ARGH! You know what I don't need this right now! You have no idea what's going on with me so just- just- FUCK OFF!" 

 

You could hear a pin drop the room went dead silent and the only noise was Jay's angered breathing before he shoved Kai with his shoulder and stomped down the hallway to his room. 

 

Jay didn't swear a lot or at least... he didn't really anymore now that Lloyd was with them but if you somehow managed to really piss him off he'd unleash the entire dictionary of cuss words on you so hard you'd feel like shrinking or evaporating just to get away.

 

Something was off about it this time though...

 

"Did you guys see that?" Cole asked

 

"See what?,' Kai huffed 'Jay being a total douchebag- OW!" Zane smacked the red ninja upside the head.

 

"No not that and Kai half of that was your fault. I mean did you see that? Jay didn't spark or anything, he always sparks when he gets that mad. Plus he didn't shock you when he pushed you did he?"

 

"No... You're right that is kinda odd isn't it? First he's not using his powers when he fights and now he's not even using them when he's not thinking about it what's his problem?"

 

There was another loud bang and marching as Jay stormed out of his room. Normally it was quite literal, storm clouds and everything, but this time there was nothing. Just an angry auburn marching with a hate filled expression. 

 

"I'm going on a walk." Jay spat out angrily and slammed the doors shut. 

 

Cole's eyes followed him and stayed trained on the door. Zane put a cold hand on Cole's shoulder and he turned his concerned expression up to Zane. "Why don't you go talk to him?" He asked gently as freshly fallen snow and Cole nodded before running out after the blue ninja.

 

"Jay! Jay! Wait up!" Cole said running over to the boy. Jay stopped in his tracks posture stiffening.

 

"What do you want Cole?" Lightning mumbled.

 

"Hey, what's going on with you bluebell?"

 

Yeah yeah maybe he was manipulating Jay by using a nickname he knew the blue ninja couldn't be mad at but if it'd get him to talk...

 

Jay let out a sigh and his shoulders slumped forward. "You don't need to worry about it boulderbrain, it's my problem not yours."

 

"Jay..." Cole put a hand on his shoulder. "You're my best friend in all sixteen realms, any problems we have we can work on together you know that."

 

Jay turned up to look at him and Cole took notice of the fact that his tired eyes were a lot less blue than usual, more like a stormy grey than he thought they had been before. 

 

Jay turned away shaking his head and looking forward "I don't know that you can help me on this one rocky, not this time... I don't think anyone can."

 

Cole felt a pain bloom in his chest at the utter defeat Jay held in his tone. "Jay please? Please just tell me what's going on?" He pleaded moving the hand from Jay's shoulder down to his hand and intertwined them.

 

"It's... my powers... It's like I can feel my lightning dying inside me and I don't understand why. I was already struggling with my grip on electricity I thought it was a fluke or something but now it's just... I'm so tired Cole... I'm so tired and I don't know why."

 

The black ninja felt his heart tug at the confession. None of them had ever lost their powers like this before sure there were times where they didn't have them, or there was vengestone, or hell even times when villains stole them but... Jay wasn't having any of those problems. Jay SHOULD have his powers, so why were they dying?

 

Jay gave him a small condescending chuckle at his silence. "See what I mean? I don't think there's anyone that can help me, Cole." 

 

"Hey that's not true, Nya, Zane, and You are super smart and you know Kai and Lloyd would do anything they could to help and so would I. We can look at the library and ask around we can figure this out! Let's just go back in and tell everybody 'kay?"

 

Jay just sighed "I dunno Cole... I'm still gonna go on a walk I just... need to clear my head don't worry I'll be back soon and we can talk about all this alright?" 

 

"Okay..." 

 

Jay slowly pulled away and Cole didn't let go of the other's hand until he had too. 

 

"Back soon" turned into three days and three days turned into a month and a month turned into six weeks and in more ways than one Jay had slipped through his fingers that day. 

 

---

 

Wind blew his hair every which way as Cole stood at the bow of the ship with narrowed eyes as they approached the city. The entirety of Ninjago City was engulfed in a spiraling supercell cloud making everything have a dark feeling about it. Ninjago City had truly become 

 

The air was heavy and full of static around them with dark clouds so thick and angry you couldn't see even two feet ahead unless they lit up with lightning. 

 

"What're you thinking?" Nya asked more casually beside him.

 

"Lightning isn't acting like Lightning anymore. Lightning always chooses the fastest route to the ground but drawing us out isn't the fastest way to get to us it's starting to think more like Jay."

 

Nya hummed thoughtfully. "So what are you thinking about that?"

 

"I'm thinking that we're running out of time to get this done."

 

"Well then, good thing that by the end of the day this will all be over." She turned out to look in the same direction as Cole and in a much darker tone she muttered "one way or another."

 

Suddenly the clouds surrounding them got more and more thin until they finally broke through into the open to see the city. It looked... horrible. It was utter choas. The entire city was dark the only illumination came from the blue lightning that climbed up buildings and glowed from inside the soldiers that battered the city from below.

 

Something was off though...

 

The people. The citizens of Ninjago City, none of them were screaming or yelling they were silent and Nya apparently realized this at the same time as him. 

 

"What in the cursed realm... KAI! TURN ON THE NEWS!"

 

The two of them raced back to where Kai had the tv turned on. And there she was Gale Gossip herself live on camera.

 

So why wasn't she moving?

 

You really had to look at the camera to see that she was in fact still breathing but if you looked even more close you could see that every muscle in her body was tensed almost like she was being held in place. 

 

"Holy shit! I know what this is!" Every head in the room turned to Nya. "Cole, y'know those papers I was looking at before we saw Lightning the first time?"

 

"Yeah, Why?"

 

"Well I was confused about them because it was talking about different capabilities of electricity and I read through it and there was this one thing, right? That talked about how like, Y'know how our brains and bodies are controlled by electrical signals? Well it mentioned that the spirit of lightning could potentially use the electricity in our bodies to control us! That's gotta be what's happening! Lightning is taking the electricity from the people in ninjago and making them freeze in place."

 

"I thought Lloyd called the commissioner and got everyone to evacuate? Why are they here?" Kai asked.

 

"It's possible that after we led Lightning away that they thought the coast was clear and decided that the city was safe to re-enter. Then before they could realize something was wrong Lightning had already frozen them." Zane replied.

 

Lloyd's eyes snapped with recognition as he turned back to the tv screen. "But why would lightning do that?"

 

"Because it isn't Lightning." Cole said coming up behind the others from his spot on the door frame. "We've been thinking about it as just lightning but that's not right. Lightning doesn't give two shits what it kills as long as it gets to Jay but Jay would do whatever he could to save Ninjago and he's proven it before. I don't know why or how but in some way Jay and Lighting are working more in sync now."  

 

"Okay but that's a good thing isn't it? Why do you look worried?"

 

"Jay is smart, strategic, and inventive and when you mix that with something so chaotic and powerful with very low morals-"

 

"It's not a good combo." Kai finished for him.

 

"Exactly so we gotta do this smart and we've gotta do it fast. I've got a plan, we need to lure him out and draw him back to the monastery and I can fix all of this. Zane, Pix, I want you to stay back and defend the city I don't want lightning anywhere near you two."

 

"Consider it handled." Pixal replied and pulled out her dummy staff and Zane grabbed his, now rubberized, javelin.

 

"Kai, Lloyd, once we get 'im there I want you two standing sentry outside the monastery steps, take out any metal soldier that comes near you." 

 

Lloyd nodded and Kai ruffled his hair with a smile. "You can count on us."

 

"Nya you're with me, we need to get Jay to the courtyard you take care of any soldiers, Lightning is mine."

 

Nya gave him a firm nod and walked out the back room where Jay's body was.

 

"It won't take much to get Lightning riled up if I'm right but we need to make sure we're fast. Is everybody clear?"

 

"We're ready." Kai said and stuck his hand out.

 

"For Jay." Lloyd said putting his hand on top followed by Zane and Pixal.

 

Cole smiled with determination and added his hand to the mix.

 

"For Jay."

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

"It is waaaay too quiet down here." Kai said with a tilt to his voice. He was right, there was nothing in the streets, at least when he got caught in that creepy oni cloud there was choas going on, now it was just desolate. Everything silent and cast in dark grey only ever illuminated by the every so often flashes of distant lightning. Shattered glass littered the ground making the only sounds distant rumbles of thunder and sharp crunching as it echoed through the empty streets.

 

"I think we need to make some noise." Lloyd said with a grin. Kai had a wicked smile on his face as he turned to Zane.

 

"What do you suggest?" Zane asked manically.

 

Both red, white, and green turned to look at Cole and his warhammer.

 

"C'monnn~ we all know you wanna~ you haven't gotten to do it in forever." Kai said and Cole couldn't help the grin that creaked across his face. 

 

"Okay okay but don't yell at me if I'm a little rusty!"

 

He hefted his hammer up and brought it down on the pavement that cracked underneath the force. The groaning echoed through the streets just like the glass. He struck four more times in a line and once again the resounding noise sounded like glaciers breaking in the distance. 

 

A soft orange glow lit up from underneath each crack. The light grew and grew and Cole slammed his hammer down on each dent once over and lava spewed out.

 

"Ready?"

 

"Do it, Do it, Do it!" Lloyd chanted and Kai joined along.

 

"Alriiight~ Here goes nothing!"

 

He slammed the hammer onto each indent and the moment the hammer was off of each one a geyser of lava taller than some of the buildings themselves shot out. Cole continued in a rhythm each bang sending up a geyser making a differently pitched crack. Like a giant drumset with a sound bar made of lava that shot up into the air. 

 

If this didn't get Lightning's attention it would sure as hell get Jay's, after all... it was their favorite song to listen to together. And it looked like it was working.

 

Flashes in the sky got brighter and angrier. Crackling began from the alleys beside them and blue glowing started up.

 

"Cole..."

 

"Almost there!" He said. 

 

Soldiers suddenly began to emerge from every side of them. More and more crackling out glowing blue.

 

He brought the hammer over his head his arms lighting up orange and dripping with power. Then with a swing as hard as he could summon the hammer was brought down and bright orange shot up from the crater left in the ground.

 

It reached higher and higher and then the entire sky went ablaze as a strike of lightning brighter than the rest spiraled down the geyser and smashed into the ground along with the now cooling rock and like that they had lightning's undivided attention.

 

Tendrils of electricity spiraled up from the ground reforming. Soon it had gained enough energy and the familiar shape of his friend emerged. 

 

A shriek lit up from the spirit's mouth and Lightning's shoulders, eyes, arms, and hair all flared angrily with the violent howl, temporarily losing their shape. Cole wasn't gonna get caught on the fact that its shoulders were never fully reformed he wasn't going to let himself focus on the fact that the Jay-like aspects of Lightning seemed to be fading. 

 

Instead he grabbed Lloyd and Kai and launched them into the sky on a pillar. Lightning watching them with disoriented white eyes before shrieking. 

 

They tumbled recklessly onto the deck of the bounty for like the tenth time in the past two weeks and the moment they touched wood they were taking off in the direction of the monastery.

 

Cole ran into the com room where Nya was, grabbed Jay, and ran right back out onto the deck.

 

"HEY SPARKY!" He wailed and Lightning's flying distracted form immediately snapped to look at them. 

 

"LOOKIN' FOR SOMEONE?!" He called lifting Jay up slightly and the entire sky screamed with Lightning attempting to strike the bounty.

 

The bounty was full throttle now and they practically crashed into the ground outside the steps of the monastery. Something was probably broken or at the very least on fire but that wasn't their biggest issue at the moment. Scraps from the broken bounty had started coming to life as more soldiers headed for them.

 

Nya jumped out of the cockpit almost getting stopped by one before slamming into its energy core using the rubber baseball bat she had taken as a weapon and joining them. 

 

"This is exactly why I never let you drive anywhere!" Kai yelled at her.

 

"Oh shove off you threw us in a ditch two days after you got your permit!" 

 

"FSM THAT WAS ONE TIME!" Kai screeched indignantly.

 

"Guys, really not the point right now!" Lloyd yelled at the bickering siblings.

 

"This is taking too long! Everyone get on this step!" He ordered and the four- er- five of them crowded onto one step that suddenly lurched forward as Cole shot them up like the world's fastest escalator. 

 

At the top they split off, Lloyd took the right podium and Kai took the left. Seems they were just in time too because he could see the eyes at the bottom of the stairs. Hundreds of illuminated scrap soldiers clawing their way up the steps.

 

"Stay safe." Cole said to the two of them who nodded with smiles as Nya closed the monastery doors behind them. 

 

"Hey," Nya said stiffly "try not to kill us."

 

Cole replied as he set Jay down carefully positioning him on his knees in the middle of the courtyard. "Love you too Nya."

 

Nya scoffed and gave him an eye roll. As she took her place off to the right of him. Sometimes Nya was like that, he knew she could get a little too serious sometimes but there was no mistaking the familial love that her words carried when she talked like this.

 

The sky grew black above them and the air itself suddenly felt charged. The taste of static filled his teeth and he knew it was time.

 

It was time to end this. Time for Jay to come back, time for lightning to return to its host, time for all of this to end, whether he was there for that end or not wasn't up to him because whether he was or not it was like Nya had said, it all ended today one way or another. And he was gonna make sure of that.

 

The large wooden doors glowed a vibrant blue before suddenly they exploded sending wooden splinters everywhere. A glimpse between the light let him see Lloyd and Kai frozen like the others outside. Looking like statues on the podiums.

 

A grunt at his side and he heard the clatter as Nya's bat fell to the floor while her body suddenly constricted with a blue crackle of electricity.

 

Lightning took a step forward but fell back as soon as it did grabbing its head as if it was a real person. It glitched and jerked around as if it was struggling to keep its form. Lightning lashed around trying to keep itself together as its body flashed from human to energy.

 

Then suddenly it stopped. Piecing its human form back together it turned to stare at Cole with a manic smile. Even so, Lightning wasn't completely stable, its shoulders and eyes seemed to be leaking back into its true form of pure electricity. 

 

Like it was losing itself.

 

Like it was losing Jay.

 

Electricity built up behind Lightning preparing to attack. Cole took one last look at Jay's body behind him before he turned back to the spirit in front of him. 

 

Lightning let another earthshaking shriek but for once Cole wasn't like earth. 

 

The cry fell on deaf ears as Cole just dropped his hammer to the side of him and stood in something akin to a boxing position. Lightning raised a hand and slashed it down. Electricity streaking from the sky slammed into his body but Cole just took it.

 

He didn't let it go it stayed connected to him, a closed circuit. A bright white aura of energy glowed around him and Cole could feel the dull burn of keeping the electricity on him begin but it didn't matter.

 

Lightning recoiled at the display and started slashing his arms down wildly, bolt after bolt, scream after scream as power descended from the sky and slammed into Cole but earth only walked forward as if they hadn't even touched him. 

 

A scream of frustration erupted and lightning threw itself forward into a full body punch directed for him and Earth caught it in hand. 

 

The other fist struck at him but was caught just as quickly as the first. White glowed brighter around the two forces of nature but his expression never changed. Cole kept his gaze steady and trained on the now panicked Lightning. 

 

Lightning seemed to grow before it curled and twisted. Trying desperately to pull away from Earth but it was too late. Its hands lost their shape and flared followed by its arms as it sank into the elemental master of earth.

 

It screamed and wailed pulling and tugging to no avail. It lost shape and flared and sank deeper and deeper into his arms, into his body as it cried out.

 

Brighter and brighter the energy grew as lightning lost more and more of itself.

 

In one final screech it lost it's shape turning into pure unbridled energy and it twisted shooting forward as suddenly the entire force of lightning was inside of earth, the entire essence of Jay was inside Cole. 

 

Electricity from the sky connected to him and the white only grew around him and he took powerful steps forward. More and more lightning added itself to the powerful storm he held in and around him trying to reach out to its true core.

 

The more lightning connected to him the heavier his steps grew until with each raised foot gravity came back tenfold. Each step making a crater in its wake from the force pushing it down. Yet despite everything he walked.

 

He walked to Jay as the entire world disappeared around him until there was nothing but Jay and Cole and the white glow that the universe had turned into. 

 

Then with speed like the slashes of Lightning's arms Earth took a knee, cracks forming in the ground below him as he did so, and gripped the shoulders of Jay Walker the true master of lightning and like that the circuit reopened and the world around them truly exploded. 

 

The blue ninja's head snapped straight up with break neck speed. 

 

White beams of electricity shot up from Jay's eyes and mouth sending pure streaks of power into the sky breaking through the clouds and nothing could be heard but the deafening mix of the screams of the blue ninja and the thunderous power of the lightning itself. 

 

That blinding white grew and grew eating up everything around them until even Jay was fading from his vision. But still Cole kept his half shut eyes trained on Jay as long as he could, he would watch until the white became too much and he could bear it no longer.

 

If he didn't make it through this the last thing he wanted to see was the face of the person he truly loved more than anything else in this world.

 

Power grew and grew until there was nothing but white as he and the rest of the universe faded away into nothing.

 

Then, it was over. 

 

Slowly he became aware that he was still alive and the ringing in his ears began to dull as his vision slowly returned to him.

 

Cole panted heavily attempting to keep himself breathing as his chest heaved. He watched his own blood with wide open eyes as it dripped down in little beads onto the smooth rocks below him from his nose. 

 

But then he felt a small shifting movement. A movement that came from underneath his hands that were still grasping onto Jay's shoulders like a lifeline.

 

"Uhhn~"

 

He couldn't even make a sound as his head jerked up.

 

Underneath locks of newly snow white hair two deep purple eyes creaked their way open and met his own with a bewildered and disoriented look.

 

"Cole?"

 

With a breathless smile full of too many emotions to convey in words the earth replied in a tender voice,

 

"Hey, Bluebell"

 

 

Notes:

So this was it, the final chapter of the greatest fic I've ever written, the end of Overload.
Now, I have one last question for those of you who really did love this fic

 

 

Which title would you like to see first?

 

Nimbus

or

Aftershock

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of Overload Series